This Christmas
by kaela097
Summary: Blair and Chuck prepare to celebrate their first Christmas together after becoming parents. How over the top will Chuck want to take the holiday?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**Takes place a few weeks after 'Daddy's Little Girl.' I couldn't let Christmas pass without a little holiday cheer for the new family. I hope you all enjoy.**

"Chuck, we've talked about this," Blair whispered softly as she padded across their bedroom floor in her bare feet and silk negligee. She had woken up to find his side of their bed empty and cold. A quick scan of their bedroom produced the results she had expected. He was sitting in a leather chair with their precious three-month-old daughter in his arms. Charlotte was fast asleep with her tiny little hand wrapped tight around one of his fingers.

"I'm sorry," he responded sheepishly as he kissed the infant's head gently, "I couldn't help it. She was fusing a little in her sleep. I didn't want her to wake you, so I went and got her."

"She needs to get used to her crib," Blair scolded as she kissed the top of his head.

"Why does she need to get used to anything?" he insisted as he shifted Charlotte slightly in his arms, "She's a Bass. She can and will have anything she wants."

"Chuck," she scolded.

"I know . . . you're right. She should be sleeping in her crib," he conceded with a sigh of resignation, "But I love holding her. She's all warm and snuggly, and she smells so good."

Blair chuckled softly as he spoke. Charlotte was going to be the most spoiled child just as she was already the most spoiled wife.

This was a life she hadn't even thought possible when she and Serena dreamed and planned all those years ago. All of her role models growing up were the picture of dysfunction, from the way they went about their marriage to the way they raised their children. She always expected to follow in that path, but her life with Chuck was far from dysfunction. It was made of the stuff from fairytales and timeless romantic books and movies.

She knew that her husband loved her with a passion that consumed him. When Charlotte was born that passion extended out to her. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for either of them including leaving his post as CEO.

Chuck's days at the office were dwindling. Each night he told her how many days he had left. It was one of the first things out of his mouth after he asked about Charlotte and how their day had gone. He had already told his trusty assistant that he was preparing to step away from the helm. There had been tears of sadness from both parties, but also tears of joy because both knew that this was what Chuck truly wanted. He promised Eugenia that she would continue to be his assistant if she chose to remain in her position, but that she could now focus more on the charitable works of the company. Eugenia didn't hesitate in her acceptance.

The number two in command had yet to be told of his new role within the company, although Chuck was covertly preparing him. He had every confidence that the company would continue to thrive. There was a board meeting just before the office closed for the holidays, and Chuck was planning on telling the board members then. He was anticipating the board having negative reaction to the announcement, but his mind was already made up. He needed to do what was best for his family. He was doing the one thing that Bart had never done – he was putting his family first.

"Christmas will be here soon," Blair pointed out as she knelt next to him. "You manipulated your way into staying in New York. What would you like to do?"

"Remember our first Christmas together in this penthouse?" he inquired as Charlotte let out a gurgle as she squirmed ever so slightly in his arms. They both smiled broadly as their daughter nudged her nose tighter into his chest as if she was trying to get as close to him as possible. She was already becoming so much like her mother, and that made him so happy.

"Of course," she gasped. She was almost offended by the possibility that he could even think she would ever forget such a wonderful time in their lives.

"I want to do all the things with Charlotte that you did for me," he told her, "I want to do the carriage ride through Central Park, meet with Santa at Macys, skate through Rockefeller Center, walk to each of the store window displays . . . we'll have to save the Rockettes for another year, but I want to do all the rest."

"How about donating our time at the Children's Hospital?" she inquired. It was the one traditional thing that they did every year no matter where they were spending their holiday. Santa, Mrs. Claus and their trusty elves would swoop into with massive amounts of present for the children. He always ended their evening with a reading from "Twas the Night Before Christmas". He now had the story committed to memory so that he could recite it while watching Blair. Her eyes always danced as he captivated the children's attention.

"If Humphrey still has that Santa suit, I'm game," he nodded in reference to the suits that Jenny kept for their yearly tradition, "And I especially want our home decorated like the North Pole once again."

"She's not going to remember this Christmas," Blair stated as she looked to their still soundly sleeping daughter.

"But we will," he responded instantly as he followed his wife's gaze as they settled on the adorable chubby cheeks, "Charlotte deserves the best Christmas that we can give her, and what we can give her is everything."

"She's going to have five hundred presents under the tree isn't she," Blair realized.

"It will probably be closer to a thousand," he grinned as she leaned in and kissed him.

"Let's take it easy this year," she offered up a compromise, "Let's save the buying the toy store for a year in which she'll remember."

"What a wonderful idea of an investment for Bass Industries," he mused as the businessman in him started working out the details of any possible acquisition that he could make. He watched his wife roll her eyes as he contemplated the idea.

Blair pulled Charlotte out of Chuck's arms and went to return her to the crib near their bed. Charlotte instantly began crying. The wide eyes of his wife told him that the crying had surprised Blair as Charlotte was always such a happy baby. She rarely ever cried out. Charlotte continued crying as Blair laid her down. There daughter began kicking out her feet as she continued to wail. She had never seen Charlotte act that way before. She gave Chuck a helpless look as he approached the pair.

"She just wants me to be the one to put her down," he concluded as he picked their daughter up and held her close for a few moments. Charlotte fell back to sleep instantly with the unshed tears trickling slowly out of her eyes as they closed. Once he was sure she was asleep he set her down in the crib. She didn't even flinch as she continued to sleep soundly.

"What are you the baby whisperer or something," Blair marveled as they turned and climbed back into bed, snuggling close together as they both looked over at the crib so they could see their daughter as she slept.

"I just know our daughter," he whispered as his hand closed around her waist to settle at her stomach. He marveled that how smooth it was already. It had only been three months and already she was back to her pre-pregnancy body. He hadn't been able to keep his hands off of her since the doctor first told them they could resume sexual activities. He was surprised they hadn't woken Charlotte each night, but she slept like her mother who could sleep through anything as long as he kept still next to her. Sounds she didn't hear, motions she usually felt.

"You know me too," Blair stated seductively as his hand continue to caress her stomach through the silken material. He could feel her breathing begin to shallow as she snuggled further into his embrace so their bodies pressed against each other tightly.

"I know you very well," he agreed as he kissed the underside of her jaw as one hand trailed up her body to close around her breast. A small moan of pleasure escaped from her lips as she arched into his touch. As he spoke once more against the shell of her ear, his voice became deeper, more smooth, "I know every inch . . . every nook and crevice . . . every hidden piece of yourself. I know precisely where to touch you to drive you wild. I know where not to touch you that could turn you off. I happily play your body to our mutual satisfaction."

"Chuck," she cried out as his tongue dipped into her ear.

"Shhhh," he hummed into her ear softly as his hand skimmed down her torso as he bunched up the material of her negligee until he was able to touch her soft skin without barriers, "Charlotte is sleeping."

"I don't care," she moaned as his finger dipped into her belly button. She could feel his amusement as he shook with laughter although he didn't make a sound.

"You feel incredible," he marveled as his hands began skimming her body as he slid the silk off her skin so she was completed exposed to his roaming hands underneath the thin satin sheet they were tangled in. "Your skin is so soft . . . so smooth, and you always smell and taste so amazing."

"Chuck," she whispered as she turned towards him, groaning at the feel of silk against his skin. He must have slipped into his pajamas sometime during the night. She sat up swiftly as her hands went to work to unbutton the garment. They were his favorite pair, so she knew better than to tear them from his body even though she desperately wanted to.

His lips mashed against hers as he helped her rid himself of his clothes, both rising to their knees to aid in their pursuit. As soon as his pajama bottoms came free, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him as he slid inside of her. Their tongues began to twirl around each other in a desperate dance as they fought for control. Their mutual moans were swallowed by their kiss. Their arms wrapped around their bodies to aid in them getting closer to each other. Their hands roamed each other's skin, which elicited moans and cries of ecstasy.

"Blair," he gasped as he broke free from their kiss so they both could breath. He could feel how light headed they had both become as they tried to prolong their kiss as they swayed against each other.

"This is never going away it is," Blair moaned as he slid inside of her a little further, "We're never going to stop needing each other in this way."

"Never," he agreed as his lips crashed against hers once more as he lowered her to the bed so that he had better leverage to slide further inside of her. He hadn't been able to hit the usual spots that drove her insane in their previous position, and he was worried he would reach his peak before she did. That was unacceptable to him. Her legs responded by wrapping around his waist, opening herself more fully to him. A smile came to his lips as she gasped in approval as he drove in further.

"I'm close," she announced as it was her turn to pull away for air.

"I can feel it," he agreed as he nodded against her skin which was become slick with perspiration. Her breathing became even shallower as her breaths were nothing more than short gasped for air. Her eyes widened suddenly as he felt her convulse around him. Her mouth went wide but no sound came out. He slid into her twice more before his release came as he buried his groan against her neck.

"Why do I always see stars with you?" Blair spoke softly. Her words were barely whispers. If his ear wasn't next to her lips he never would have heard her.

"Because we were made for each other," he explained as he shifted just slightly so that all of his weight was not on her, but not enough to pull away as he knew how much she loved their closeness after they had made love.

"Is Charlotte still asleep?" she inquired as she turned to look towards the crib. Chuck's gaze moved with hers. He began to nod against her.

"Sleeping like the baby she is," he whispered against her cheek. She began giggled at his words. He moved inside her at just the right angle to send her into convulsions once more. A strangled cry of surprise escaped her lips as her eyes went wide once more.

"You okay?" he inquired as he watched a tear trickle down her cheek as she began gasping for air once more.

"That's never happened before," she nodded as she pulled him closer, making his arms give way so that he was fully on top of her once more.

"Making you orgasm without trying?" he inquired. She continued to nod against him as her hands went around his back so that she could trail the muscles she knew to be there with her fingers.

"How do you do that?" she pressed, "Drive me to the edge and back and make me feel like that is the best place in the world to be."

"As long as you're with me, it is the best place in the world to be," he stated as he kissed her softly.

"Chuck Bass is a romantic - who knew," she smirked devilishly.

"You do, my beautiful wife," he prompted her, "Just as you always have."

"Charlotte is a lucky girl to have you as a father just as I have always been to have you with me," she stated as she raised her hands to thread through his hair, pulling him close so that she could kiss him thoroughly.

"What if Charlotte wakes up?" Chuck asked. She wanted more. He could tell by the look in her eyes.

"This probably won't take long," she mused as she felt him nudge gently inside of her. He was beginning to respond in only the way he could.

"God, Woman, you make me crazy," he growled as he captured her lips.

**TBC. . .**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"How did your board meeting go?" Blair inquired as Chuck came home after his last day in the office before the holidays. She and Charlotte were waiting to greet him as he stepped off the elevator. He had told the board during the meeting that he was stepping down as CEO, at least temporarily. He looked as if he had taken quite a beating.

"About as well as I expected," he grumbled as he took Charlotte out of her arms and held her tight as Blair leaned in as kissed his lips gently. He felt relief wash over him finally as he held Blair tight against him as Charlotte rested her head against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Blair responded as she kissed his forehead as she allowed him to hold her close. She could feel the tension in his body melt away. She knew he was going to have a difficult day when he told her of the boarding meeting that morning before he left for the office and his plan to announce his impending leave of absence.

"I can use some good news, if you have any," he requested as Charlotte used that moment to reach up and touch his lips with her tiny fingers. He smiled widely as he began to gnaw gently on the extending fingers playfully which drew a giggle from his daughter and a wider smile from himself.

"Better?" Blair inquired as she felt all of his tension melt away.

"Absolutely," he nodded as she began pulling him towards the dining room and the dinner that was waiting for them. Chuck knew Blair had already fed Charlotte so he set their daughter in her playpen near the table before they sat down. He could tell instantly that Charlotte didn't want to be apart from her parents by the fact that she began fusing.

Blair gave Chuck a look to tell him that their daughter needed to stay in her playpen as they had dinner. He kept glancing over at Charlotte who was pouting with her bottom lip sticking out.

"Chuck," Blair warned as she felt him caving to Charlotte's game.

"Look at that face," Chuck replied as he motioned towards Charlotte as he removed his napkin from his lap.

"She needs to stay in her playpen," Blair scolded him as she felt him moments away from rising to his feet to retrieve their daughter. Her hand came to rest on his knee to keep him in place. "She has no problem staying in her playpen when it's just the two of us during the day. She has you conditioned to cave to her every wish."

Charlotte began crying when she realized that Chuck was not coming to her rescue. Tears were flowing down her chubby cheeks as she locked eyes with Chuck who was staring at her helplessly. Every fiber of his being was screaming out to go to his daughter, but Blair's hand on his thigh was holding him in his place.

"I'm sorry, Blair, I can't do this," Chuck stated as he lifted her hand off his leg and rose from his chair and crossed the room to pick up Charlotte who's arms were outstretched in anticipation of him lifting her from the playpen. "She has me whipped just as her mother does. Does she need to learn to sleep in her crib and stay in her playpen, absolutely, but I cannot sit back and let her cry when it is within my power to make it all better. You know me better than that."

Blair nodded as Chuck sat back down with Charlotte in his lap as he returned to his meal. He struggled with having to hold Charlotte while trying to eat, but he didn't complain. He knew better than to expect sympathy from his wife when he was doing something that displeased her.

"The decorators will be here tomorrow morning around nine," Blair stated when she finished her meal and watched Chuck as he continued struggling to finish his with Charlotte in his arms, "And Ms. Barrett called to confirm that we would be meeting her at eight thirty for our private audience with Santa."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Chuck asked nervously as he bounced Charlotte up and down on his knee. "Charlotte doesn't do well in strangers' arms and if you throw in a Santa suit, a foam stomach, and a fake beard, that could sent her over the edge."

Blair knew Chuck had a point. It hadn't been often that Charlotte was in the arms of strangers, but when she was she would scream at the top of her lungs. Even when Blair and Chuck were around to assure her that she was okay, her lungs still received an excellent workout.

"She'll be okay," Blair tried to sound positive as she reached out and took a hold of Charlotte's hand. Charlotte looked towards her mother and leaned over as if she wanted her mother to pick her up. Blair decided Chuck had fumbled enough with his meal and decided to relieve him of their daughter.

"And if she's not?" he pressed.

"We'll have screaming pictures of her on Santa's lap to show off for eternity," she shrugged as Charlotte grabbed a fistful of Blair's hair and tugged gently. Blair gently pried Charlotte's fingers open and pulled her hair free. Charlotte didn't hesitate in grabbing another fist full and yanking a little harder. Chuck tried to bite back a laugh, but wasn't successful as he quickly stood up and retrieved a toy from Charlotte's playpen for her to play with. He shook the rattle as he held it out for Charlotte to take, but she was more interested in Blair's hair at the moment.

"Perhaps I should cut my hair short until she gets a little older," Blair thought out loud as she continued to fight with her daughter over her curls.

"Don't you dare," Chuck gasped as he looked at his wife with a stunned expression on his face. His stomach did a little flip of disgust at the mere thought of her beautiful curls disappearing for any length of time. "Charlotte, stop pulling on your mother's hair."

Charlotte turned towards her father with a curious expression. Being that she was only three months old there was no way that she could have known that Chuck was scolding her, but she didn't pull on Blair's hair any longer.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Chuck verbalized his doubt once more as they stepped out of their limo early the next morning. Charlotte was bundled up in her warmest winter coat, but underneath she was wearing the most adorable red velvet dress with white silk tights and white patent leather shoes for her photos with Santa. Her ensemble was finished off with a small silk flower headband in her hair, an early Christmas present from her father that he thought too adorably perfect to pass up.

"I'm not positive," Blair conceded as she took Charlotte into her arms as Ms. Barrett stepped out of the store to great the family.

"Mister and Mrs. Bass, it's a pleasure to see you again," Ms. Barrett stated eagerly as she extended her hand towards the pair.

"Likewise," Chuck nodded politely. In truth, he vaguely remembered the woman from so many years earlier. "This is our daughter, Charlotte."

"You are so adorable," Ms. Barrett stated as she grasped Charlotte's outstretched hand, "And so lucky to have parents who will arrange a private audience with Santa."

Charlotte giggled on cue.

"We're all ready for you," Ms. Barrett assured Blair and Chuck as she motioned for them to follow her, "And Mister Bass, that you so much for such a generous donation to our charitable foundation."

"You're welcome," Chuck nodded, "Always happy to help out a worthy cause." He had no clue what charity Ms. Barrett was talking about. Eugenia had arranged the morning with Santa and told him that a charitable donation would smooth the way. He authorized the wire transfer from his personal account faster than Eugenia could call the bank and make the arrangements.

Chuck and Blair followed Ms. Barrett into the store and towards Santaland. The memories of their first trip so many years earlier to meet Santa began flooding back. He happily rang the bell as they stepped across the gateway into the North Pole before he took Charlotte from Blair. He could have swore that the Mrs. Claus that greeted them was the same one from years before, and he was positive that it was the same Santa that had tried to feel up Blair because as soon as Blair and Chuck stepped into Santa's cottage, the jolly fat man held up his hands for Chuck to see. Chuck burst out laughing at the memories.

"Okay, Charlotte, now you're going to be sitting on this nice man's lap. He promises to keep his hands to himself. You be a good little girl, and smile for the pictures," Chuck encouraged her. It was a wasted pep talk because as soon as Charlotte was in Santa's lap, her lungs exploded with a shrill cry that had both Blair and Chuck cringing. Chuck quickly picked her back up and attempted to quiet her down.

"Watch, Mommy," Blair stated as she plopped herself down on Santa's lap. Chuck maneuvered Charlotte so that she could see what Blair was doing as Blair smiled for the picture that the elf was setting up to take. By the time the flash died out, Charlotte had settled down and was looking at Blair with intrigue. Chuck took a deep breath as he stepped back towards Santa and tried to return Charlotte to Santa's lap. She didn't even wait for her rear end to make contact with the jolly man's lap before she opened up with another blood curling scream.

"Charlotte," Blair sighed as she took her from Chuck's arms, "Watch Daddy sit on Santa's lap."

"Blair," Chuck glared at her.

"Charlotte needs to see Daddy sit on Santa's lap," Blair replied as she bit her lip to keep from bursting out in laughter.

"Not going to happen," Chuck grumbled.

"How can you expect Charlotte to sit on Santa's lap and smile if her daddy won't even do it," she snickered.

"Charlotte can sense sarcasm," Chuck warned her.

"Don't you want the picture of Charlotte on Santa's lap to remember this perfect Christmas we are trying to give her?" Blair stated as she swayed back and forth with Charlotte in her arms.

Chuck sighed with the realization that Blair had a point. He turned towards Santa as he shrugged his shoulders. "Same deal as last time . . . hands to yourself."

Santa nodded as Chuck took his turn.

"Smile, Daddy," Blair stated as he waited for the elf to take his picture. He forced a smile just before the flash went off. All the while Charlotte was watching him intently. Chuck stood up and reclaimed Charlotte once more before he took a deeper breath as he lowered Charlotte into Santa's lap. He held his breath as Charlotte squirmed but didn't start fusing.

Chuck knelt down in front of Charlotte but out of view of the camera and encouraged her to smile so that a picture could be taken. When she spotted the camera her eyes lit up as she began to giggle. The elf was fortunate enough to capture the moment.

"That's my girl," Chuck stated as he lifted her off the jolly man's lap and kissed her cheek eagerly.

"How about a family picture with Santa," the elf suggested. Chuck turned sharply and scowled at the poor young woman.

"That's a lovely idea," Blair laughed as she nudged Chuck towards Santa, "Do it for Charlee."

"That is so unfair," he groaned, "You know I'll do anything for her."

"I know," she smirked as she sat him down on one of Santa's knees as she perched herself on the other knee and smiled at the camera. Chuck begrudgingly smiled along with her and tickled Charlotte in just the right place to get her to smile as well. The picture turned out perfectly and would eventually be framed from posterity.

"How do you keep talking me into these things?" Chuck inquired as he glanced over Blair's shoulder to see the photograph that she was admiring while he held Charlotte firmly in his arms. Even he had to admit, despite his displeasure of the situation, the family portrait was perfect. He was even tempted to contact his assistant to have it sent out to their family and friends as their Christmas card, but fortunately his better judgment won out and his phone stayed in his pocket.

"Because there isn't anything that you won't do for me or Charlotte," Blair stated proudly as she slid their picture inside the bag so that he wasn't tempted to snatch it away from her.

"Mommy has a point," Chuck told his daughter as she reached out with her little fingers and pressed them into his face. The little girl giggled as she massaged her father's face. Both Blair and Chuck began to laugh along with her.

"We should have had children years ago," Chuck told his wife as she began to bundle their daughter in her winter coat as they prepared for their window display tour before they left the store. "I don't know if I've ever smiled or laughed more over a three month period as I have since Charlotte was born."

"I don't remember of a time when you've smiled or laughed this much either," Blair agreed as she leaned in to kiss him before she lowered Charlotte into her stroller. As if on cue, Charlotte began fusing and squirming as she tried to roll out.

"She doesn't like that stroller one bit, does she," Chuck realized as he loosened the belt and pulled his little angel free.

"First the play pen during dinner, now the stroller at Macy's," Blair sighed in defeat, "Chuck, she's going to fix it so that she's in bed with us for the rest of her life if you don't stop caving to her every whim."

"Charlotte is not allowed in our bed," Chuck spoke with determination as he locked eyes with his daughter as if to inform her of that very thing. There were few places in the world that he would never allow his daughter to go . . . to jail, to the truly vial places he frequented during his hard partying days, and their bed.

"Good to know that some boundaries are being set," his wife replied. She knew she would receive his infamous glare in response, but she said it anyways perhaps in hopes of it. It was rare that she ever saw his displeasure anymore. After all, their wasn't much in their life that there was to be displeased with.

"Ready for a morning of window display viewing?" Chuck asked his daughter.

Leave it to her husband to make his baby talk voice sound sexy, Blair thought as she began to follow Chuck and Charlotte out of Macy's to their first window display of the morning.

* * *

"Do you think she's warm enough?" Chuck inquired as he looked from Charlotte to Blair halfway through their two mile trek through the window displays. The New York air was crispy, but not as chilly as he remembered during their tour years earlier.

"She's fine," Blair replied as she rolled her eyes at how overprotective Chuck was of their daughter.

"Are you sure?" he pressed as he brushed his lips against Charlotte's forehead, making sure that she still felt warm.

"She has more layers on that the two of us combined," she rolled her eyes again, "She's fine. She's probably overheated because of all the layers you insisted upon."

"Do you think?" he responded with his voice full of panic.

Blair laughed out. He glared at her in response.

"I'm not going to apologize for spoiling my daughter, nor constantly worrying about her well being. Every decision that we make will affect her later in life. I will not screw this up," he spoke with determination.

"Charlotte has been the happiest and healthiest child since she was born. She is also the luckiest little girl in the world that has a daddy like you that cares so much for her. It's inevitable that we will make mistakes along the way, every parent has, but we are doing our very best to give her the type of life that you and I always wanted, which is two parents that love her so much and are involved in her life," she insisted.

"I can't mess this up," he replied as he kissed Charlotte's hand softly, "I've messed up so much in my life, but I can't mess up this."

"You won't," Blair assured him as she rose up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek gently. She looked to her daughter and began nodding. "Isn't that right, Charlee? Daddy is doing an excellent job with you." Charlotte began mimicking her mother as her head began to bob up and down.

"She's not really agreeing with you, you know," he smirked as he watched Charlotte giggle along with her mother, "She's just mimicking what you're doing."

"Because she knows I'm right," Blair responded as she reached up and tickled Charlotte's neck. Charlotte turned in to Chuck to protect herself from Blair's assault.

"I love my life," Chuck marveled as Charlotte looked at her father with her large doe eyes. As his eyes locked with hers, he knew that he would never be able to refuse her anything. He knew he had to be firm and set boundaries because she would not live the out of control life that he and Blair had, but she was going to be spoiled. She was going to be given anything that she ever wanted.

"And we love you," Blair stated as she caressed his face with her gloved. He bent down to let her kiss him like he sense she wanted.

* * *

"Charlotte needs a nap," Blair announced as they rode the elevator to their penthouse after their walking window display tour. Charlotte's eyes had lit up upon viewing each different display, but as they rode home in the limo she began to fuss.

"After we show her the North Pole," Chuck responded. Blair could see the eagerness in his eyes. Although the naughty Mrs. Claus costume was still part of their holiday tradition, they hadn't done up their home like the North Pole since their first Christmas together. She made a mental note to get the costume out of one of their closets.

"You've been looking forward to this since you won our bet, haven't you," Blair laughed.

"I just remember how magical that Christmas was, and I cannot wait to give that to Charlotte," he replied as Charlotte's eyes began to flutter closed. Her head was already resting against his shoulder. She was out before the elevator door opened to their home.

"We'll show her later," Blair stated as she took their daughter from his arms and carried her into her bedroom as Chuck stuck out his bottom lip to pout. As he looked around he could see that the decorators had managed to top their creation from years earlier. Everything was done on a grander scale, which made sense as Chuck had told his assistant to spare no expense. Instead of one evergreen tree in the main room, there were three. Santa's workshop had three times the bags of toys. Charlotte had her own room dedicated to the gifts that Chuck had already purchased for her along with her own Christmas tree. In each themed room there were life size figurines to match. There was only one thing missing, the Christmas tree in their bedroom.

Blair began to rant about the blatant oversight, but Chuck paused her from calling the decorators to complain. "That was my doing," he assured her. Blair looked at him in confusion. "There is one additional thing that I want to do with Charlotte that you and I didn't do that first Christmas we spent together . . . We are flying to Vermont tomorrow and picking out a tree. After a night in a cozy little inn that Eugenia found for us, we will be returning to New York to decorate our very own tree."

"I've never decorated a tree before," Blair responded as her eyes lit up in excitement.

"Me neither," he smirked, "Eugenia assures me that it is a piece of cake. She's already had the ornaments purchased . . . but that's tomorrow. Right now, we have our sleeping little angel a few rooms away and a soft inviting sleigh bed just a few feet away. Any ideas on how we should take advantage of that?"

Blair raised an eyebrow suggestively before she pulled on his necktie and brought him towards her.

"That was my idea too," Chuck agreed just before their lips found each other.

**TBC . . . **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

**So little love with the last post. Don't be shy. I'd love to know what you think.**

"Good morning, Sunshine," Serena stated as Blair slipped into the limo that Chuck had waiting at the crack of dawn. She had been less than thrilled by the early wakeup call and had been muttering threats all morning as she got ready for their adventure in Vermont.

"Serena, what are you doing here?" Blair asked as her eyes opened in surprise as Chuck slid in with Charlotte.

"Chuck said that you two needed someone to watch Charlee tonight, so I happily agreed to tag along," Serena stated as she reached out and took Charlotte from Chuck's arms. Charlotte who was eager to greet her godmother was reaching out towards her. Chuck begrudgingly handed his daughter over. Charlotte instantly grabbed a hold of Serena's blonde locks and tugged. Serena groaned as she tried to loosen Charlotte's death grip on her hair.

"Sorry," Blair stated as she leaned in and tried to assist Serena, "She's going through this hair pulling phase. Charlee, stop pulling people's hair."

Charlotte began giggling as she tangled her hand in Serena's hair once again.

"Charlotte Evelyn Bass, stop that right now," Chuck scolded their daughter. Charlotte froze instantly, as did Blair and Serena. Blair whipped around to stare at Chuck.

"Where did that come from?" Blair inquired as she leaned to kiss his cheek. She was thoroughly impressed. She never thought she'd ever hear her husband scold their child. She had already resigned herself to the fact that she probably would be playing the bad cop as their child grew up, but apparently she was wrong.

"She needs boundaries, right," he shrugged as Serena managed to finally untangle her hair, throwing it behind her shoulder so that Charlotte could not access it. Blair snuggled in next to Chuck as Arthur drove their limo towards the airport where the Bass jet was awaiting them.

"Does this feel a little odd to anyone?" Serena inquired as she stopped playing peek-a-boo with Charlotte for a moment.

Blair and Chuck looked at Serena with a clueless expression. They had no clue as to what Serena could be talking about.

"We are sitting in the very limo where the two of you first . . ." Serena began to explain. She trailed off as a blush crept to her cheeks. She couldn't get out the words.

Chuck began to laugh.

"This is the limo where I took my beautiful wife's virginity," he stated proudly, "And what a wonderful night that was, wasn't it, my love."

Blair began to giggle into Chuck's shoulder as she watched Serena's mortification increase. Her entire face was now beet red. Her sex life with Chuck was never something that her best friend enjoyed hearing about. She knew that Chuck was playing with his stepsister. She wanted to play along, but she couldn't get the words out because she was laughing so hard.

"When you are old enough, Charlotte, I am going to tell you all about your mommy and daddy's escapades in this limo," Serena told her goddaughter.

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Chuck laughed, "For all we know, Charlotte was conceived in this limo."

"Are you serious?" Serena squealed as she raised her butt off the seat cushion she was sitting on.

"It's been a year since then," he chuckled, "I'm sure Arthur has had the care detailed since then."

"I don't know, Baby," Blair chimed in, "We didn't stop enjoying the benefits of a limo after we conceived."

"Ewww!" Serena shrieked.

Chuck laughed as he kissed his wife on the cheek. In truth, he knew exactly when they had conceived Charlotte, and it was nowhere near their sacred limo. It was on the beaches of the private island he had finally broken down and purchase for them on their first anniversary. He'd been threatening to buy them a private escape for years, and he finally found the perfect spot in the Mediterranean.

Chuck found himself lost in the memory. They had just agreed to start trying to get pregnant a few weeks earlier. Work had been crazy for both of them, so he whisked her away for a long weekend. Something felt special as he made love to her that weekend. It wasn't until three months later when he figured out that she was pregnant that he realized what exactly had been different. Even to this day, he doubted that Blair had put the pieces together.

"Chuck," Blair whispered into his ear as she began nibbling on his earlobe to get his attention. He could hear Serena gagging in the background as his attention began to focus on his wife. He quickly turned his head and kissed her hard on the lips. Blair moaned as she melted against him. It wasn't until he felt a foot kicking him hard on the shin that he pulled away.

"Serena, what the hell?" he hissed as he glared menacingly at the blonde. He suddenly wished he'd called Lily to come along instead.

"Charlotte doesn't need any siblings just yet," Serena rationalized, "And we're here."

Chuck looked out the window to see the familiar surroundings of the private airport and the Bass Industries jet waiting patiently. Arthur was standing just outside the passenger door awaiting the cue to open it. Chuck rapped his knuckles against the tinted glass and then slid out of the limo and took Charlotte from Serena before he helped his wife and then stepsister out of the limo. Chuck took Blair's hand and led her to the aircraft, leaving Serena to follow along behind the family.

"Remember our first flight in this jet?" Blair stated as she slid her designer heels off her feet and slid her big toe under the cuff of his pants and up his leg to rub suggestively against his bare skin. Chuck had been distracting himself with an acquisition brief that he had brought along for the specific purpose of not thinking making love to his wife. One of the conditions of Serena coming along on their Vermont adventure was him promising that they would not have sex in the jet within earshot of her. He looked over to see Serena sitting on one of the sofas with Charlotte. They had resumed their game of peek-a-boo. Charlotte would giggle at the appropriate intervals.

"I know where you're going with this, and the answer is no," he responded as he moved his leg away.

"Chuck Bass refusing me," she pouted as she snuggled closer to him and began nuzzling his neck, "When was the last time that happened?"

"I am not refusing you," he scoffed, "I am trying to honor the agreement that I made with your maid of honor so that she would agree to come along and take Charlotte for the evening so we could enjoy the bed and breakfast to the fullest extent."

"Oh really," she stated, her voice filled with intrigue.

"Trust me, my beautiful wife, the wait will be worth it," he assured her as he kissed her forehead, deeming that location the safest spot at the moment, as his body was screaming at him to take her at that moment. He heard Blair sigh as she agreed to his request to wait. "I love you so much," he felt the need to add as he kissed her forehead one more time as she snuggled in closer against him. He tried to focus on the brief in front of him, but with the warm body of his wife nudging closer and closer he didn't get more than one more paragraph read before Serena came over and announced that Charlotte needed changing and she didn't know where the diaper bag had been put.

Chuck quickly stood up and took Charlotte from the blonde and brought her to the back of the plane to change her. As he chatted with his daughter while changing her, he was also silently thanking her for the mess in her diaper so that he could free himself from the temptation of taking his wife in front of his stepsister. He could only imagine the horrified look he would find on her face if he had allowed himself to give in to his urges. When he returned to the front of the cabin, Serena had taken his seat, so Chuck cuddled with Charlotte for the rest of the flight.

* * *

"What exactly are we looking for?" Blair inquired as she pushed her way through hundreds of trees that were on display. The smell of the freshly cut evergreen trees was incredible, but she had no clue as to what they were looking for. She'd never had to pick out a tree as that task had always been done by professionals before.

"Don't look at me," Serena stated as Blair looked to her best friend who was directly behind her. Chuck was a few steps back with Charlotte who was trying to get her hands on every needle or branch that came near her and as he chatted with one of the tree growers, Mario, who was showing them around.

"There are a few things you'll want to look for," Mario chimed in on cue, "Number one is a straight trunk so the tree doesn't lean or topple over. You'll also want to look for a full tree, which means that there are no holes in where the branches fan out. Then you'll also want to tell me what price range you're looking for."

Blair and Serena both bite the inside of their cheeks to keep from laughing as Chuck was quick to assure Mario that price was no object.

After admiring countless tress for almost three hours, Chuck and Blair had finally found the perfect tree for their bedroom. Chuck was arranging for the tree to be shipped to their penthouse the next day as Blair and Serena tried to distract Charlotte who kept motioning towards the biggest play area she had ever seen.

"Come on, Ladies, our chariot awaits," Chuck stated as he placed his hand at the small of Blair's back and nudged her towards the rented limo they were using. Charlotte reached out towards the play area once again as she let out a squeal as she tried to get her father to go towards where she wanted to go. "Sorry, Sweetheart, but we have to leave," Chuck stated as he kissed her outstretched hand. Charlotte shrieked as they took a step further away as she tried to squirm out of Serena's grasp.

Blair could feel a tantrum forming, but Chuck was quick to head it off by taking her from Serena and tickling her. Charlotte began giggling and completely forgot the play area as they got into the limo.

* * *

"Chuck, this place is incredible," Blair gasped as he showed her into their private bungalow after they arrived at the bed and breakfast. There were lit candles and rose petals everywhere. A beautiful arrangement of pink peonies completely covered one of the tables.

"Never as incredible as you," Chuck replied as he pulled her against him. He was done keeping his hormones in check. Serena and Charlotte were secure in their own private suite in the main building out of earshot of the two of them. His promise to his stepsister had been kept. Now his urges needed to be satisfied.

"Chuck," she gasped just before his lips crashed against hers.

"You have been driving me insane all day," he mumbled into her neck as he nuzzled softly while inhaling her scent. She was wearing his favorite perfume, something vanilla, "And you smell so good. I need you so much."

"I need you," Blair agreed as crashed her lips against him again.

"Mrs. Bass, you are wearing too many clothes," Chuck groaned as he started to peel her clothes away slowly.

"Chuck, if you think I'm going to let you take this slow, you have another thing coming to you," Blair stated as she pushed him back until he felt the edge of the bed against the back of his legs. She gave him an unladylike shove, and he fell back against the bed. She quickly stripped off all of her clothes, knowing full well that her husband was appreciating the show.

"By all means, give me what's coming to me," Chuck smirked as his eyes racked over his wife's form with appreciation. If it was possible, he loved her body even more since she gave birth. Her hips flared slightly more than they did before, and her breasts seemed to retain a little more shape. He would never tell her that though. Her self-consciousness about her body was still there, even after all of their years together and all of his assurances that he loved every inch of her.

"Now who's wearing too many clothes," Blair stated as she climbed up on the bed and straddled his still clothed body.

"We need to fix that," he grinned devilishly as he sat up and brought her tight against him. Their lips crashed against each other as they began fighting with each other to rid him of his clothes as fast as possible. Their hands kept getting into each other's way.

Blair let out a growl of frustration when she looked down to see that they had made little progress other than to remove his tie. She pushed him back against the bed and held his arms at his sides. "You're making this difficult on purpose," she hissed into his ear before she bite down on his lobe.

"I would never," he whispered innocently as he tried unsuccessfully to stifle a groan of pleasure.

"Hands at your sides," she commanded as his hands went to her waist to settle against her hips.

"No, hands at your sides," he amended.

"Someone is playful today," she grinned.

"Enough talk," he grinned as he flipped them over so that their positions were reversed. He divested himself of his clothes faster than either had thought possible, and he was sliding into her before she was able to prepare herself. Her groan was deeper than it normally was. "Am I hurting you?" his voice quivered as he stilled his motion.

"You never could," she assured him as she ground her lower body against him, needing his friction. "You just surprised me."

"After all our years together, it's good to know that I can still surprise you," he grinned as he continued to make love to his wife.

**TBC. . .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Wake up, Bass," Blair cooed as her lips nuzzled his neck. She had woken up to the sun shining in her eyes. She looked to her husband to see him still sound asleep with his arms wrapped possessively around her with a serene expression on his face. They had worn each other out the previous evening as they took full advantage of the fact that their precious daughter was being looked after by Serena. She had lost count as to how many times they had made love that night.

"What time is it?" he mumbled softly as he pulled her tighter against him.

"Eight," she replied as she glanced over his shoulder to the clock on the nightstand. A grin appeared on her face as she felt his readiness against her. He was still the Energizer Bunny after all these years. "Still plenty of time to enjoy the benefits of Charlee being a building away."

"Did you notice that I made your half of the bet come true?" he smirked as his eyes sprung open for the first time, "A night of ecstasy with Charlotte staying with Serena."

"Is this part of my Christmas present?" she grinned.

"This is part of my Christmas present," he amended as he rolled her underneath him and slid home. He watched his wife's eyes roll back into her head. He marveled at how incredible she felt against him. Every now and then he'd reflect on how she had been able to keep him satisfied after all their years together. Chuck Bass and monogamy did not go together, but with Blair it felt like the most natural thing in the world. She had spoiled sex for him with all others so many years ago. He'd spent a year trying to force the issue, but in the end he knew she was it for him. Whatever it took, he had to be with her. If he had to swallow his pride, it would be worth it, and it had been.

"You okay?" Blair inquired as they held each other as they tried to catch their breath after they both received their mutual satisfaction, "You seemed to drift off on me."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled as he tickled her neck with his soft lips.

"Don't get me wrong, you were still incredible, but it was like you put it on automatic pilot," Blair replied with a slight giggle caused by his lips.

"I was just relishing the feel of you against me," he began to explain, "It's no secret how much I feared monogamy . . . feared that I wouldn't be able to do it even with you, but you have made it effortless. I've never even been tempted. Nobody could compare to you. Nobody could satisfy me like you. Nobody else could be you."

"Chuck," Blair responded tearfully as she pressed her lips against his softly.

"I don't ever want you to forget how much you mean to me . . . how much I love you and our life together . . . how much I love our daughter," he continued on.

"I know," she assured him as she put her fingers to his slips to silence him, "And Charlotte knows."

"Let's go get Charlotte and go home," he suggested, "I want to continue on with our first family Christmas."

"Okay," she nodded.

* * *

"How was your night?" Serena inquired with a knowing glimmer in her eyes as the best friends settled in the jet. Charlotte was sound asleep already on her father's shoulder, and Chuck was beginning to drift off as well. "Chuck looks a little worn out."

"We haven't had a night like last night in awhile," Blair grinned, "He's a little out of shape."

"I heard that," Chuck glared at her as he tried to stifle a yawn.

Blair giggled at the annoyed look on his face as his head fell back against the seat again. She knew he was utterly exhausted. It was a miracle that he had made it onto the plane without stumbling. If he hadn't had Charlotte in his arms, he probably would have. She'd given him a pretty good workout the previous evening.

"Did Charlee behave herself last night?" Blair inquired as her eyes stayed glued on her husband and daughter as they took a nap together.

"She was a perfect angel," Serena assured her, "She was out by eight, and slept straight through the night. She woke me a little earlier than I would have liked, but I can't complain about waking up a six when I was prepared to stay up all evening if necessary."

"Didn't Chuck tell you that she's been sleeping through the night for a couple of weeks already?" Blair inquired as she eyed her husband. Had he been awake she knew he would have given her his Cheshire grin, but he was now sleeping as peacefully as Charlotte.

"He failed to mention that," Serena stated as she glared over at Chuck. Her face instantly softened at the sweet picture he made.

Blair stood up and went to the flight attendant to procure a blanket, which she draped over her Chuck and Charlotte. Chuck's eyes opened for a moment as he felt the soft fabric warm his body. Blair bent down and kissed his lips softly before she kissed her daughter's head and then returned to her seat next to Serena who was flipping through a magazine.

Their conversation shift to fashion and their complaints about the anorexic models that were wearing the designs in the spreads. One thing that Blair had been very aware of since she began her fashion line was message that designers sent to young girls. She was insistent that her designs be modeled by real women. She didn't want to send the negative message that she had which fueled her bulimia.

When they returned to their penthouse later that afternoon, the evergreen tree they had picked out the day before was already set up in their bedroom and piles of ornaments were stacked next to it. Blair set Charlotte in her crib as Chuck started sifting through the ornaments to decide which ones he liked. When he turned around to hold up a few of the ornaments for her review, his wife was suspiciously absent.

"Charlotte, where did Mommy go?" Chuck inquired as he approached Charlotte's crib. She held out her arms to be picked up, which Chuck was quick to do. "Where's Mommy?"

Charlotte pointed towards their bedroom door, so Chuck decided to oblige and began his search for Blair.

"What is she up to?" Chuck inquired as he heard Christmas music begin to fill the penthouse. He went into the main room to see that the simulated snowstorm was reflecting off the walls and the sound system had been turned on. A further look out the windows proved that it had begun lightly snowing outside as well. He turned when he heard sounds coming from the kitchen. He gulped nervously as he followed the sounds. He crossed his fingers in the hopes that she hadn't decided on cooking something.

Charlotte squealed in delight upon seeing her mother standing over the stove.

"Charlotte, this isn't a good thing," Chuck informed his daughter as he stepped closer to the stove to see Blair hovering over a small saucepan with a spoon in her hand. "What are you making, Sweetheart?" His voice sounded shaky and nervous as he peered into the pot.

"Relax, Bass," Blair laughed upon seeing his expression. She knew she made him nervous when she entered the kitchen. The few times she had tried to cook had ended in total disasters that she insisted he try to fork down. "I'm simply warming up some apple cider for the two of us. Dorota used to make it for Mother, Daddy, and I all the time around the holidays. I always looked forward to it, so I've decided to bring back that tradition."

"It smells wonderful," Chuck grinned as he inhaled the scent.

"Don't sound so surprised," she scowled him as she tapped him lightly on the shoulder with the wooden spoon she was holding.

"Save the rough stuff for the bedroom, Waldorf," he grinned as he pulled her tight against his free side as he devoured her lips. He could taste a hint of apples and cinnamon on her lips that told him she had already tasted the liquid on the stove. Charlotte reached out to touch first her father's cheek and then her mother's to get their attention. Blair reluctantly loosened his grip around her waist as she kissed her daughter's cheek before she returned to stirring the cider.

"Take Charlotte back to the bedroom and start decorating the tree," Blair instructed him when he pressed himself against her backside. She tried to nudge him away, but he continued to hold her tight, "I'll bring the cider when it's ready."

With his free hand he swept her hair to the side so that the nape of her neck was exposed. His lips quickly found the sensitive skin.

"Chuck, either go put Charlee down so we can continue this properly, or go start decorating the tree," Blair stated as she spun quickly to face him. She could feel his readiness pressing against her as her arms came around his neck. Charlotte could feel that she was being ignored so she began squirming against Chuck.

"I can take the hint," Chuck assured his daughter as he shifted her in his arms so that he had a better hold on her as he kissed her forehead. Blair bent down to do the same before Chuck turned Charlotte towards the kitchen entryway, "Let's go decorate. Mommy will join us in a few minutes."

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Blair called out to the pair as they disappeared from view.

A few minutes later, Blair returned to the bedroom with two cups of cider. She paused for a few moments at the doorway to observe her family. Chuck was helping Charlotte hang up an ornament on the tree. Once she released one of the ornaments and it began dangling safely on the limb of the tree, Charlotte let out a giggle of delight, which would then combine with her father's laughter. Blair closed her eyes to savor the sound. His laugh was different with Charlotte than it was with her as it was more childlike. It took her back to when she was a child. She remembered him chasing her around the playground. In the distance, she could hear her nanny scolding her for running around and getting her dress dirty, but she didn't care because Chuck was laughing as he gave chase, the same laugh she was hearing now.

"How long have you been spying on us?" Chuck inquired as he turned towards Blair at Charlotte's urging.

"Not long," Blair replied as she stepped towards them and handed Chuck one of the mugs as she kissed her daughter's head, "I was just admiring the decorated tree. Charlotte is doing such a great job."

"With our genes, she was bound to have good taste," he smirked as he bounced Charlotte up and down in his arms as he took a tentative sip of the apple cider. It was warmed to perfection and tasted amazing. He took a longer drink before he passed the mug back to Blair so he could continue adoring the tree with ornaments.

After eight boxes of glass balls, Blair took a step back to admire their work. She burst out laughing at the realization that the top portion of the tree was completely bare, while the bottom was covered. "I'm going to go get a step stool," she announced as she turn and left Chuck and Charlotte to discover for themselves what was so funny.

"I think we forgot something, Charlotte," Chuck told his daughter as he chuckled merrily as he pointed towards the top of the tree. Charlotte reached out towards the tree and giggled.

After finishing the decoration of the entire tree, Chuck, Blair and Charlotte sat by the fire and admired their hard work as the glass balls twinkled from the crackling fire behind them.

"She's not going to remember this Christmas," Chuck announced as he looked down at Charlotte who was laying down on the carpeted floor looking up at her parents as she grabbed her feet, "But I know I'll never forget it."

"Neither will I," Blair replied as she leaned over and kissed him softly.

"What did we do in this life to have this most perfect moment?" he inquired as he tickled Charlotte's stomach, which brought out a giggle.

"Loved each other," she replied as she kissed him again.

"It's really that simple, isn't it," he concluded. She nodded as she rested her head against his shoulder. Charlotte's eyes began to flutter open and then closed. She was struggling to stay awake. "Go to sleep, Charlotte," Chuck reassured her as he bent over and kissed her forehead gently, "Mommy and I will be right here . . . always."

He looked over at Blair who had a warm smile on her face. Charlotte quickly fell asleep. Chuck and Blair snuggled in close to each other as they watch their angel sleep. Charlotte had a finger from each parent secure in her hands. Chuck knew at that moment that he didn't want any gifts that year . . . all he wanted was to be with his family.

"Blair," he spoke softly as he ran his fingers through her hair, separating the curls as he went.

"Um," she replied as she turned her head towards him slowly, her eyes reluctant to leave her daughter as she loved watching her sleep so peacefully. She looked like her father when she slept.

"How would you feel this year about the two of us not exchanging gifts?" he spoke tentatively. He wasn't sure how she would receive this idea. Getting gifts had always been one of her favorite parts of the holiday. He knew he could be walking into a potential mind field.

"I'm so glad you were the one to suggest it," she sighed in great relief, "I was having such a hard time trying to come up with a gift to give you. We already have everything we could possibly want right here."

"So, you would be okay if we just focused on gifts for Charlotte," he concluded. Surprise filled his voice as he gave her a hesitant smile. He was trying to determine if she was merely obliging him or if she truly was okay with his suggestion.

"Yes," she nodded as she tried to reassure him that she really wanted to follow through with his suggestion.

"Good," he sighed, "Because I was having an equally hard time trying to find a gift for you. I could shower you in jewelry, but those trinkets feel hollow and cheap now compared to all that we have."

"I could not agree with you more," she responded as she caressed his chiseled chin gently.

"I love you," he replied as he kissed the inside of her palm before he took a hold of her wrist so he could hold her hand in place as he continued to kiss the inside of her hand before he kissed the tips of each one of her fingers. He turned her hand over and worked his way down each finger, saving her ringed finger for last so that his lips could linger longer on her wedding and engagement bands.

Once he was finished, Blair reached out and took his hand as she returned the attention.

Chuck rose up onto his knees suddenly and then lifted Charlotte into his arms careful not to wake her. Blair gave him a curious look as she watched him cross their room to lower Charlotte into her crib in the corner. He returned to her and offered her his hand as he helped her to her feet. His lips came crashing against hers forcefully. She sighed happily as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to bed.

**TBC. . .**

**Don't forget to let me know what you think. Are you enjoying this? Should I continue?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Are you sure you don't want to join me?" Blair inquired as she stepped out onto the empty ice rink in her well-worn skates.

"Charlotte and I will happily watch you from our seat right here," Chuck replied as he motioned towards the wooden bench he and his daughter were firmly planted on. Blair had concluded that Chuck's influence in Rockefeller Center was considerably better than Lily's had been as he managed to secure ice time relatively early in the evening.

Charlotte was bundled up tight in her snowsuit. She tried to wave to her mother at Chuck's urging but she was wrapped up like a mummy and barely able to move. She fused a little but settled down as her eyes began to follow her mother as she whirled around the ice. Her eyes widen with intrigue.

Blair stopped after a few minutes and skated back towards the bench she had left Chuck and Charlotte.

"I've never seen her eyes widen this much," Chuck noted as Charlotte tried to squirm as she intended to reach towards her mother. She wanted to fly with her mother. She groaned in frustration at the fact that she couldn't move.

"What do you think, Charlee, do you want to skate with Mommy?" Blair inquired as she reached over the boards and took Charlotte into her arms as if she was reading her daughter's mind.

"Blair, are you sure that's a good idea?" Chuck asked nervously as Charlotte squealed in delight as Blair spun around twice with Charlotte in her arms. "What if you fall?"

"I'll make sure that Charlotte breaks my fall," Blair grinned innocently.

"That's not funny," Chuck scolded her.

"Chuck, I haven't fallen since I was fifteen," Blair rolled her eyes, "And that counts the time when you were throwing my balance off."

"Please be careful," he practically begged her.

"Of course," Blair assured him as she pushed off with Charlotte in her arms.

From Chuck's seat he could hear Charlotte's giggles and squeals of delight as Blair flew across the ice. From the look on Blair's face, she was having just as much fun as their daughter as she twirled and whirled around the ice. Her entire body radiated a happiness that he didn't know was possible. She loved motherhood. She loved spending time with her daughter and doing the things she never remembered her mother doing.

* * *

"Maybe we should skip the carriage ride through Central Park," Chuck announced as they returned to the limo after Blair and Charlotte finished their skating. His daughter's eyes began fluttered closed, and she looked tired.

"Charlotte, do you want to ride through Central Park with Mommy and Daddy or do want to go back to the penthouse and sleep?" Blair inquired as she began removing the snowsuit/mummy costume so she wouldn't get overheated on the ride to the park.

"How exactly do you expect her to answer you?" Chuck inquired curiously.

Blair glared at her husband as she looked to Charlotte again. "Sleep at the penthouse?" She paused to allow Charlotte to respond if she wanted to. She just stared at her mother as if she was waiting for the second option. "Central Park with Mommy and Daddy?" Charlotte giggled at that suggestion. Blair looked triumphantly at Chuck as she spoke, "I think we have our answer."

"I think she has her mother's intelligence," Chuck sighed happily as Blair picked her up and kissed her chubby cheeks.

"You are just as intelligent as I am," Blair rolled her eyes at her husband as she tickled Charlotte's stomach, "Don't forget who took over a multi-billion dollar corporation at the age of eighteen and brought it to heights nobody even thought to be possible."

"I also nearly flunked out of Saint Judes," he added, "If it wasn't for the large monetary contribution that Lily made to the school on my behalf, I wouldn't have graduated with our class."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Blair sighed as she shifted herself and Charlotte so that they were snuggled up against Chuck, "You had to deal with a lot that year. Headmistress Queller knew that. After all, she didn't suspend you when you were smoking marijuana on school grounds."

"It was hashish," he clarified.

"Are we really going to argue over your drug of choice back in high school?" she replied as she looked at him in distain.

"No," he sighed, "But what exactly was your point?"

"My point was that you went through a lot during our senior year. You would have graduated easily if . . ." she trailed off. She didn't want to say the words. She knew how difficult that time in Chuck's life was . . . and still is.

"My father hadn't died in the accident," Chuck finished for her. He could hear the hesitation in her voice, and he understood it. She knew what a touchy issue his father's death was for him. "You can say it, Blair. I'm not going to turn into a pile of mush at the mere mention of it."

"I'm not so sure I agree with that statement," she responded as she leaned into his embrace even further as she felt his entire body begin to tense as the conversation shifted to the subject he loathed more than anything else.

"Can we please not talk about this?" Chuck requested as he fought internally to keep his voice calm and even. He hated that even after all these years his father was still a hot button issue. He wanted to be over all of the anger and pain that came with the memories of his father. He looked at his daughter and wondered how his father got to the heartless place he did. He couldn't imagine ever allowing himself to do any of the heartless things his father did to him to Charlotte.

"Okay," Blair agreed as she kissed his cheek as his arms encircled her so that he could take Charlotte's hand and still have his arms around his wife. "We can let the conversation go . . . for now." Chuck sighed as Charlotte put her head against her mother's shoulder and drifted off to sleep.

"She's not going to enjoy her first carriage ride," Chuck spoke softly upon realizing that Charlotte was asleep as they pulled up to Central Park where the carriages were lined up waiting for patrons.

"Sure she will," Blair stated as she began to re-bundle Charlotte while being careful not to wake her. She could see Chuck's internal struggle with trying to decide if they should continue on with their evening plans. It was beginning to snow, and he didn't want Blair or Charlotte to get cold.

"Blair, I . . ." he began before she cut him off as she slid around him and signaled for Arthur to open the door for her.

"You can wait here for me and Charlotte if you want," she called over her shoulder as she bounced towards the first carriage in the line with Charlotte in her arms, "We shouldn't be more than two or three hours."

Chuck quickly got out of the car and jogged towards the carriage, jumping in just as it took off towards the park. He was still getting situated as they turned into the park.

Charlotte's eyes popped open as soon as they were in Central Park as if she knew what she could be missing if she continued to sleep. When the snow started falling harder she tried to catch the flakes with her tiny gloved hands. She looked at her parents curiously when they melted as if to ask where the fluffy flake had gone. Chuck and Blair curled into each other and enjoyed watching Charlotte take in the sights.

* * *

"Is Charlotte asleep?" Chuck inquired as he watched Blair stroll into their bedroom after successfully putting Charlotte to sleep in her room. It wasn't often that their daughter slept in her actual bedroom, as she usually slept in the crib in the corner of their room, but Blair wanted to speak to her husband without the need to censor her words or keep her voice down. Chuck seemed to anticipate the confrontation that was approaching as he had already removed his jacket and tie, and loosened a couple of buttons on his shirt to get comfortable. He was now sitting at the end of the bed waiting patiently for her.

"Sleeping like an angel," she smiled as she walked towards his nightstand and took a hold of the baby monitor to turn it on.

"I don't suppose there is any chance that we can skip the argument and go straight to the make up sex," he tried to lighten the mood. Her face looked too serious at the moment. He earned a scowl of disapproval, which told him that he had just wasted his breath. He took a deep breath as he prepared himself for the battle he knew that was to come.

"It's been over eight years," she snapped as she set the baby monitor down harder, "It's been eight years since your father died. It was undeniably sudden and extremely sad, but your wounds are still as fresh as they were eight years ago when you nearly drunk yourself into oblivion. We need to do something about this. I cannot continue to watch you fall apart year after year on the anniversary of your father's death. It hurts too much. I tried to distract you this year. I planned an elaborate day with your daughter, and I thought you did very well until she went to sleep. Then you crumbled in my arms."

"Blair," he began.

"No, you need to let me finish," she demanded as she cut him off, "I love you too much to allow this to continue the way it has been." She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "You and I are going to come up with a plan of action. We are going to figure this out once and for all."

"What do you want from me?" he bellowed as he felt his anger begin to boil over, "Do you want me to try therapy? It's not going to help. They are going to try and tell me the same things that you keep trying to pound into my thick skull. My father loved me. He had a shitty way of showing it. He believed in me. He gave me his precious company. None of these words mean anything to me because they aren't true. My father despised me. I was a daily reminder of the most precious thing he had in his life that he lost."

"Chuck, you need to stop blaming yourself for your mother's death," she groaned, "You did not kill her."

"Yes, I did," he hissed through gritted teeth. "If she hadn't had me, she would still be alive today."

"You don't know that," she held her ground. "Would you have held Charlotte responsible?"

"What?" he exploded.

"If I had died while giving birth to Charlotte . . . would you have held her responsible," Blair elaborated.

"That is completely different," he growled as his eyes darkened in anger. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of her dying during childbirth. It was truly his worst nightmare.

"It's the exact same," she insisted, "You were an innocent baby just like Charlotte is now. If your father blamed you for your mother's death, which I cannot believe that he did, then he was wrong."

"Can't you just let this go?" he demanded, "Can't you just let me deal with this in my own way? It's just one day a year."

"No," she insisted, "Because this isn't about just one day of the year. This carries over into all other aspects of our life. Your work is the best example. I have watched you push yourself to the edge of exhaustion to prove that you are a better businessman than Bart Bass. Now you're trying to prove that you're a better father."

"I am a better father," he stood up straight.

"Perhaps," she nodded, "But you don't have anything to prove to anyone, certainly not me. You're the man that I love unconditionally. You're the father of my child. You're my lover and my best friend. I want you to be happy every day of the year."

"What do you want me to do?" he sighed as his anger melted away.

"I want you to figure out a way to get through the anniversary without falling apart. I want you to stop thinking that your father hated you. I want you to let yourself heal. However you do that is up to you, but promise me that you'll try," she stated as she stepped towards him and put her arms around his shoulders to pull him close.

"I'll try," he nodded as she molded herself against him as she began to nibble at his Adam's apple, "For you and Charlotte, I promise to try."

"Thank you," she mumbled into his skin as she felt him unzip her skirt and allow it to fall to the floor. His hands trailed to her backside and lifted her off her feet ever so slightly. Blair took that as her cue and wrapped her legs around his waist as she ground her pelvis against him. They let out simultaneous moans of pleasure.

"Are we done arguing?" he inquired suggestively as his lips traced the shell of her ear, "Can we move on to the makeup sex yet?"

His words caused a shiver of delight to shoot straight down Blair's spine as she nodded into his neck. He smirked at the effect he was having on her as his hands began to caress the cashmere fabric covering her back.

"Too many clothes," Blair moaned as she fisted his silk dress shirt as he lowered her to the soft red down comforter that currently covered their bed, a new addition for the holidays. "I hope you don't have any attachment to any of the clothes that you are wearing because I think I'm going to need to shred them."

"Feel free," he chuckled hoarsely as his tongue dipped into the crater of her shoulder blade as he slid the fabric of her sweater away. The words had barely left his lips when he heard the distinct sound of buttons giving way and seams screaming for release.

"Chuck," she gasped as her lips began to roam the solid plains of his chest as she rolled herself on top of him. The sprinkling of hair that covered him and tickled her nose added to the heady sensation of need she felt for him as he lowered himself to the bed and allowed her free reign of his body. It wasn't too often that she took the time to explore him. While they made love dozens of times a week, since Charlotte was born it had been rushed and often times frantic. She had forgotten how much she loved to touch him.

Chuck tried to call out to her to tell her how much he was enjoying what she was doing, but the words got stuck somewhere between his brain and his throat. All he could manage was an inarticulate grunt. He heard her giggles in response as she kissed her way lower to his belly button, her tongue dipping in. He knew where her lips were heading as her hands began to work him free of his trousers, but he had to stop her. She stuck out her bottom lip to pout in protest.

"Later, perhaps," he coughed out as he sat up and crashed his parched lips against her soft moist ones. As she straddled his torso and hovered over him, he discovered that he was completely nude underneath her, while she was still in her La Perlas. She was always a superlative sight in her lingerie, but at that moment he needed to feel her against him without any hindrances. He skillfully undid the clasp at her back with one hand as he used his other hand to lower one of the straps so that one of her breasts was quickly exposed. His irises darkened as his lust increased ten fold as he latched on to her exposed breast. Charlotte had only recently stopped breastfeeding, so her breasts were still tender. He was cognizant of that fact as his tongue traced her nipple delicately.

"Chuck," she gasped as she arched her back so her breast was fully available to him as her fingers entwined in his hair to pull him closer. He responded was suckling gently. Blair was panting for air as he released her first breast and turned to give her other breast equal attention.

Suddenly, clear as day, they heard Charlotte cry out. They paused and looked each other directly in the eyes. They desperately wanted to continue, but they were torn about their daughter needing them.

"We should go to her," Blair spoke up. Chuck nodded as she rose off him and felt for her robe, which was at the end of the bed. She was out the door before Chuck could find his robe. He was still sliding it over his shoulders as he entered Charlotte's room to see Blair picking her up and bouncing her up and down.

"What's the matter, Sweetheart?" Blair inquired as Charlotte curled against her shoulder and lowered her head. Her eyes drifted shut as she instantly fell back to sleep.

"She's not used to sleeping in here," Chuck stated as he kissed Blair softly on the lips as he rubbed Charlotte's back gently.

"Do we risk taking her back to our room?" Blair inquired as she swayed back and forth slightly. One look at the glassy expression in her eyes, told Chuck that Charlotte hadn't put a damper on her mood. "We were being a little louder than usual."

"Correction, you were being a little louder than usual," he chuckled as he guided his wife towards their bedroom, "And it's going to take a lot more than that to wake Charlotte."

Once Charlotte was secure in her crib in her parents' bedroom, Chuck and Blair took their spots on their bed once more. Their robes fell to the floor in their haste to pick up where they left off.

"Now where were we?" Chuck grinned as his wife positioned her breast at his lips as she straddled his waist once more.

"Right about here," she replied as she thrust her breast into his face. His mouth opened eagerly to accept her.

He took a little more time than he normally would with their foreplay, as he wanted to make sure that she was one hundred percent ready for him when he flipped their positions. While their momentarily interruption did nothing to damper his mood, he thought perhaps it might to hers. As he entered her slowly, he realized he was most definitely wrong. She was more than ready to accept him.

"Took you long enough," she groaned as he slid in deeper.

"Forgive me," he whispered as he stilled inside her, intentionally resting at the spot he knew drove her wild, "I was being thorough."

"You're forgiven," she assured him as she thrust against him eagerly. "Please don't stop."

"I'm just getting started," he assured her as he slid out. She let out a whimper as he pulled out completely which quickly turned into a moan as he slid in again.

"Don't toy with me, Bass," she cautioned him, "Get to the point."

"Are you close?" he teased as he bit down lightly on her collarbone.

"So close," she agreed. His movements began to speed up as he drove in and out rhythmically. Just when she thought she had his movements figured out, he sped himself up and then slowed down. "Chuck, please."

"Let go, Love," he whispered against her ear, "I'll let go when you do."

"Promise," she demanded.

"Of course," he nodded. Her head fell back against the feather pillow as she arched up against him one final time. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she exploded with pleasure. She vaguely heard the sound of him groaning against her throat as he released inside of her. The feel of him emptying himself into her was like no other in the world. It filled her with pride to know that she was the only one that ever had the pleasure of that experience. As he had told her many times, he was very diligent in handling his business before her.

Chuck collapsed on top of her, completely spent. Usually he tried to brace his upper body so that he wouldn't crush her, but he was beyond rational thought. Blair's last thought before she passed out was to wrap her limps around him fully so that she could enjoy the moment.

An 'I love you' hung in the room. Neither one knew or cared who said it as they drifted off to sleep. It was the most true statement either would ever speak.

**TBC. . .**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Blair!" Chuck gasped as he sat up suddenly in bed after awaking from a dead sleep. The images of the nightmare he had just endured were still fresh in his mind. He never slept well after speaking about his father and the accident that had left him as an orphan. His dreams the previous evening were more terrifying than usual. It wasn't his father that was lying in the bed when he arrived at the hospital, it had been Blair. It wasn't his father's face being covered by a sheet by some lowly orderly, it was Blair's. Chuck's heart was beating wildly as he looked to her side of the bed to find it empty.

"Charlotte," Chuck stated as he slid out of bed and stepped towards the crib in the corner, only to find it just as empty as his wife's side of the bed. He began tearing through the penthouse as he looked for his family, his calls for Blair turning more and more frantic the longer the search continued.

He had tears in his eyes as he fell against the chair in the dining room. His head fell into his hands as he began sobbing. His rational mind knew that Blair and Charlotte were all right. Blair had probably taken Charlotte shopping or something, but he could not get the image of Blair lying dead in the hospital bed. He had lived with the image of his father lying in the hospital bed dying for eight years and it shook him to his core. Blair was right. He needed to deal with this.

The elevator chime shook him from his thoughts. He quickly stood and made haste as he went to the elevator doors. Relief was not the proper term for what he felt when he saw Blair step off the elevator with Charlotte in her arms. They had matching radiant smiles as they looked at Chuck. He took his women in his arms and held them tight.

"What's wrong?" Blair inquired once he finally released her and she was able to study his face and the tearstains that covered him.

"I had a bad dream," he admitted as he held her against him as he rested his head in the crook of her neck. He could feel the relief wash over him as he inhaled her perfume. "When you weren't in bed, I began to panic."

"I left you a note on my pillow," Blair stated as she handed Charlotte to her father. She knew Charlotte would be the best cure for his frazzled nerves. "Charlotte woke early this morning. We didn't want to wake you, so she and I went to that bakery that you like and got breakfast." She held up a paper bag that he had yet to notice.

"I didn't see the note," he replied as he kissed Charlotte's forehead softly. She responded by resting her head against his chest.

Blair pulled him towards the dining room as she set out their breakfast.

"You were right last night," he stated as he set Charlotte in his lap and accepted the pastry that Blair was handing him. Blair gave him a curious look in hopes that she could prompt him to elaborate on what he was talking about. "I have been ignoring the issues with my father for far too long. It's time that I face this. I'm going to call Lily later this morning."

Blair looked at him in confusion.

"She knew my father better than I did," he stated as he bounced Charlotte up and down on his knee, "She's tried to help me in the past. I think I'm ready to accept it."

"I'm so proud of you," Blair stated as she bent over the table and kissed him.

"Charlotte deserves a mentally stable father," Chuck replied as he held her close.

"You are mentally stable," Blair rolled her eyes. "We both have our issues and our own way of dealing with them. Therapy isn't for everyone. If you think Lily can help you, then I'm going to support you."

* * *

"Charles, your home looks incredible," Lily gasped as she step off the elevator and into the winter wonderland that was his home for the holidays.

"Thank you," Chuck responded as he accepted the hug that Lily offered in greeting.

"Where are Blair and Charlotte?" Lily inquired as she looked expectantly for the rest of his family.

"Shopping," Chuck replied as he rubbed the back of his neck to try to alleviate the unseen tension, "Blair knew that I wanted to speak with you in private. It's important."

"If it's about stepping down from the company, I am already well aware," Lily assured him, "I must say I was a little surprised. You seemed to take as much pride in being CEO as your father did, and we both know how talented you are at doing it."

"My head just isn't into it right now," he confessed, "I spend most of my days at the office wishing I was home with Blair and Charlotte. I'm doing what is best for me and my family. The company is in good hands."

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?" Lily inquired.

"No," he shook his head, "I'd like to talk to you . . . about my father."

Lily's eyes light up in surprise. They hadn't discussed his father for years. She followed as Chuck motioned towards his office where he had pulled out several pictures of his father that he had kept over the years. He'd been looking through them with Blair and Charlotte for most of the morning as he tried to remember the happier times that he had with his father. He had filled his head with all of the horrible memories and had forgotten that there were actually good times.

"Tell me about my father," Chuck requested as they took seats next to each other on his leather sofa. His eyes shone with unshed tears. Lily took his hand as she collected her thoughts. It had been a number of years since he had died, and she didn't think about him often, but she knew that this day would eventually come, so she had made a concerted effort to keep the memories as vivid in her mind as possible.

"I know you felt your father was a cold and calculated man that was devoid of all emotions, but that wasn't the case. Losing your mother hurt him very deeply . . . so deeply that he concluded that it was better to just down emotionally for fear that he could be hurt that way again. He knew how much it hurt you, and he regretted that more than you'll ever know. He regrets the childhood he gave you. Looking back, he wished he had made more time for you, given you the things you wanted instead of what he thought you needed," Lily spoke. She paused for a few moments so that her words would sink in. "God, I wish you could know how much he really did love you."

Chuck lost the war with his tears as they escaped and began to trail down his cheeks.

"He was hard on you only because he saw so much potential in you. He wished that he was half as smart of you. When you thought you had disappointed him, it was himself that he was disappointed in. He felt that if he had been the father you needed, you wouldn't have gotten into half as much trouble as you did. If he had set better limits you wouldn't have gotten as out of control as you did. He never blamed you for your trouble. He always blamed himself," Lily stated, "The disappointment in his eyes was directed towards himself. He felt he failed you as a father."

"Why didn't he tell me any of this?" Chuck inquired as he wiped the stray tears off his face.

"He didn't know how," she responded softly. "If he could see you now, he would be so proud. He knew if you ever married Blair that you would have a happy life."

"He knew about Blair," Chuck responded in surprise.

"He saw her as your equal, as someone who would keep you in line and bring out the best in you just as your mother did for him," Lily explained, "He always thought there were strong feeling on your part for Blair, and he hoped that one day Blair would return them so that you could have the happy life he had with your mother."

Chuck smiled ever so slightly.

"Charlotte would have had him wrapped around her tiny fingers," Lily laughed lightly.

Chuck reached to the end table and picked up the family portrait that was taken during his father's wedding to Lily. "You, Serena, and Eric were the first glimpse I had into what it would be like to be a part of a family. I haven't properly thanked you for that."

"You'll never have to thank us for that," Lily assured him, "We love you, Charles. You're my son in every way that matters."

"Will you tell me more about him?" Chuck requested as he focused his eyes on his father. Lily was happy to oblige as she rambled on for several hours. Blair and Charlotte came home half way through his afternoon with Lily. They joined the pair for awhile, Charlotte in Chuck's arms and Blair with her arms around Chuck until Charlotte needed to be put down for a nap. The way Chuck was laughing at the humorous stories that Lily was telling about his father warmed Blair's heart. He was finally beginning to heal.

* * *

"Lily stayed longer than I thought she would," Blair stated as they got ready for bed that evening. Lily had stayed for dinner that night, taking time to play with Charlotte after she woke up from her nap. Charlotte was currently tucked into her crib in the corner. Chuck was filling the bathtub with water as he had concluded that a bath would feel good that evening.

He merely nodded as he began to shrug out of his clothes before he slid into the tub. Blair heard a relieved sigh as his head feel back against the porcelain.

She observed him for a moment. He was laid out in all his glory in the warm water with his eyes closed. Whenever they took baths together there were always bubbles, but there weren't any that evening. Blair had the feeling that she wasn't invited to join him. Instead she settled upon taking up the perch that he had assumed so many times throughout her pregnancy. Once she was settled she reached out to caress his bare chest. Chuck must have felt her presence as his hand was waiting for her before it could settle against his skin. His fingers began to draw random patterns on the back of her hand as he kept his eyes closed. When his fingers trailed over her rings his hand settled over her hand, moving it up so that it rested over his heart.

"You and Lily had a lot to talk about," she whispered softly.

"I have a lot of issues to settle," he stated very matter of fact.

"You seem to be better today," she observed as his finger entwined with hers.

His eyes opened leisurely as he turned to look into her eyes. "I feel better today. Better than I've felt in years, actually. Today I was actually able to think about my father without the repugnance and loathing that is usually associated with my memories of him."

Blair smiled warmly as she began to caress his chest softly as she studied his eyes. He looked exhausted. It was as if the weight that he had carried around with him for so many years had finally caught up with him.

"I'm going to let you relax," she announced as she began to rise from her perch. Chuck quickly grasped her hand to keep her close.

"Stay," he requested as he brought her hand to his lips, "I need you near me."

She nodded as she sat back down leaning over the tub a little further so that her head was resting against his shoulder. Her hand found it's way back to his chest to settled over his heart. A relaxed sigh escaped from Chuck's lips as his eyes closed and he fell into a blissful sleep, something that had eluded him the evening prior.

Blair let him sleep for twenty minutes before she pulled the plug on his bathwater and allowed it to drain. The chill against his skin as his bare skin made contact with the air raised goose bumps all over his body. Blair reached for a towel and began to dry him off as he awoke fully.

"You were shriveling up," she spoke softly as she helped him out of the tub, "You should get to bed. You look exhausted."

"I feel exhausted," he admitted as he leaned against her, needing her support to get to their bed. His limbs felt heavy as if there were cement boulders attached to them. Blair struggled to support his weight, but was determined to get him to bed. He fell against the mattress and was asleep instantly. Blair kissed his forehead as she pulled the comforter over his body. He rolled towards her side of the bed and reached out his arm towards where she was usually laying.

"I'll join you in a few minutes," she whispered into Chuck's ear so that he wouldn't continue to search for her in his sleep. She knew it would result in him waking up, and he obviously needed his sleep. He responded by stilling his movements. Once she was sure he was settled she turned towards their closet to pick out a negligee to wear to bed. She checked on Charlotte before she climbed into bed. She snuggled into him as his arm wrapped around her waist pulling her tight against him.

She struggled to get to sleep. She suddenly realized that today had been the first day since they had been able to make love since Charlotte was born that they hadn't. She craved his touch, needed him as she always did. She had to settle for the feel of him against her as she closed her eyes and will herself to sleep.

Minutes turned into hours, and still sleep refused to find Blair.

"Are you awake?" Chuck's voice startled her as he whispered softly against her ear. His voice was hesitant as if he hadn't expected her to respond until she jumped slightly in his arms

"Yes," she sighed, "I haven't been able to get to sleep. I hope I didn't wake you."

"You didn't," he assured her as he kissed the sensitive spot just below her earlobe, "My need for you did. We haven't had our daily workout. My tired mind can fool my body for a little while into thinking that I need sleep more than you, but my body will always win out in the end."

"Thank god," she gasped as she rolled over so that she was face to face with him. Her lips found his as if there was some sort of gravitational pull sucking her in. He hummed with pleasure against her as his arms snared around his waist as he brought her against him fully. One of her legs wrapped around him as she pulled him closer. His hands roamed to the hem of her nightgown sliding it up her body slightly as his hands skimmed her hips to find she was sans the complimentary panties that she usually wore the that particular garment. "Chuck, you know I enjoy foreplay as much as the next woman, but I really cannot take waiting any longer. Please fill me."

"As you wish," he grinned as he happily complied, shifted her ever so slightly so that he could slid in effortlessly. She hadn't been kidding when she implied that she was ready for him. He tried to stifle his groan, but her warmth was too much.

"We almost went a day without making love," she gasped as he moved within her, "I'm not ready for that yet. We went three months without each other. We need to make up for lost time."

"I completely agree," he grunted.

Blair groaned as her release caught her by surprise.

"Shhh," he chuckled as his lips crashed against her as he tried to swallow her cries so that she wouldn't wake Charlotte as she convulsed around him, "We have an infant in the room." His orgasm brought his own cry of release to which Blair repeated his words with amusement.

"Do you ever feel weird about making love with Charlotte so near?" Blair inquired as they held each other tight. They were panting as they tried to catch their breath.

"Never," he shook his head before he settled it against her chest where he could hear the wild beating of her heart. "Making love to you is anything but weird, no matter the proximity of our child. As I've told you, Charlotte will know that her parents love each other and that they make love each day."

"Do you worry about setting a bad example?" Blair inquired.

"How could making love to my wife set a bad example?" he asked as his face scrunched up in confusion.

"We make love with wild abandon sometimes several times a day. Is that the example we want to set for Charlotte? That sex is the most important thing in our lives?" she inquired.

"Sex isn't the most important thing in our lives," he replied as he brushed hair away from her shoulder, "You and Charlotte are the most important thing in my life. Making love to you is just an expression of my love for you, just as cuddling, tickling and hugging Charlotte is my way of expressing my love for her."

"What about when Charlotte enters her teenage years and starts to think about becoming sexually active? How are we going to handle that?" Blair inquired.

"First off, we have a few years before we have to think about that," Chuck responded, "And then we'll start locking her in her room."

"I'm trying to be serious here," Blair glared at him.

"I know," he sighed, "And we'll explain to Charlotte about the mistakes that we made in our experiences. Sex to me was just an act. It felt good, but there was no emotion behind it for me. The more I had it, the more numb I became inside. It wasn't until you that I understood the connection that being with someone in that way could bring. I came to life that night. I can only hope that when Charlotte decides to have sex, or hopefully make love for the first time, that she does it for the right reasons."

"I wish we had waited," Blair confessed. Chuck merely nodded as if had expected her to feel that way. "And I don't want you to misunderstand me," Blair added quickly, "I am happy that you were my first lover, but I wish that we had taken the time to explore our relationship, so that when we did come together that first time that the emotions would have been there as well. Perhaps if we had done that, you would have been my only lover."

"And a limo isn't exactly the most romantic place for a person's first time," he added.

"Oh, it always would have happened in the limo," Blair groaned, "That was the perfect place for our first time."

"Do you regret your other relationships?" he inquired. This was a new thought for him. Of course he had regretted his encounters, but it had never occurred to him that she would have regrets.

"I don't regret most my relationship with Nate," she replied, "But Marcus and especially Baizen were mistakes. I knew that even back then. I was forcing my feelings for Marcus in hopes that he would share his title with me. It was ignorant and vain. Carter was just a part of my downward spiral after I was rejected by Yale."

"What do you mean that you don't regret most of your relationship with Nate?" he inquired. He could overlook her other two relationships. They weren't important, but Nate was important to her. He was her first love. He had something of Blair's that Chuck could never have and it still bothered him slightly.

"For a first boyfriend, Nate was a perfect choice. He was safe. I regret how long it lasted. We should have broken up a year or two before we did. We tried to force our feelings for the sake of our families, and that led to a lot of bad decisions on both of our parts," she explained, "Nate and I were not meant to have a future together. He wasn't exciting enough, dangerous enough, sexual enough. Even when we tried to make our relationship work the second time, I was forcing it. I believe Nate's feelings were genuine."

"They were," he confirmed.

"Mine weren't," she admitted, "I was still smarting from the Yale rejection. You and I had no relationship. Nate was there when I needed him."

"For the record, I came to see you that night after that family soiree of Nathaniel's. I wanted to be there for you, but Nate was there instead," he looked away.

"Had I known, I would have sent you away," she replied, "You had just rejected me. I was angry with you."

"I didn't reject you," he scoffed, "I was trying to get you to see that you were doing was not going to help. I had just gone through my own downward spiral. I wasn't going to stand by and watch you go through yours. I loved you too much for that."

"I know that now," she nodded as she kissed him, "But then it hurt. My life was falling apart. I needed you. I needed the one thing that made me feel alive and you rejected me."

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely.

"Don't ever do that again," she warned him, "Don't ever reject me."

"Never," he assured her as he wiped a stray tear off her cheek. "I love you so much. I need you so much. My life without you would . . . I wouldn't have a life without you. You and Charlotte are my life."

Tears trickled down Blair's cheeks as he spoke. He stopped speaking and kissed away her tears. He would spend the rest of his life drying her tears if necessary.

**TBC. . .**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Someone is awake, I see," Chuck cooed as he picked up Charlotte from her crib. Her chocolate orbs were as wide as saucers as she smiled up at him. He turned towards his bed to see Blair still sound asleep. He took Charlotte out of the room so that Blair wouldn't wake. She looked beautiful as she slept soundly. He owed her a morning of sleeping in. It was her insistence that he confront his unresolved father issues that allowed in the most peaceful night sleep that he ever remembered having.

Chuck took Charlotte into the living room and spread out a blanket near one of the Christmas trees and laid down with her.

"It's Christmas Eve, Charlotte," Chuck began as he caressed her stomach gently, "You won't understand this for at least another couple of years, but tonight is such a magical night. I promised your mother that we would be together forever on this night.

"I hope that you will always feel the magic of this season. It took me eighteen years to understand the joys of this holiday. I promise you, Sweetheart, you will not have to wait that long."

"Chuck," Blair spoke softly as she found the pair on the floor. She turned on the lights of the tree and watched as Charlotte's eyes widen in excitement before she knelt down to join the pair on the floor.

"Did you sleep well?" Chuck inquired as she kissed him softly before she bent down to kiss Charlotte.

She nodded, "You?"

"Better than I have in years," he responded.

"How long have the two of you been awake?" she inquired as Charlotte squirmed on her back. She was trying to rock herself so she could try turning over, but Chuck's hand on her stomach was preventing her from the attempt. Blair lifted his hand off their daughter's stomach and entwined her fingers into his.

"Not long. I think Charlotte has been awake longer than either of us," Chuck concluded, "When I went to check on her, her adorable eyes were already wide open."

"It's Christmas Eve," Blair stated.

"I was just telling that to Charlotte," Chuck responded as he watched Charlotte rock herself back and forth, "I cannot wait for Charlotte to get a year or two older so that she'll understand the entire effect of Christmas."

"You are going to take it easy this year, aren't you," Blair replied, "She doesn't need the toy store this year."

"Have you forgotten whom you married?" he chuckled, "Of course she's getting the toy store. Eugenia and I made arrangements for the toys to be delivered this afternoon."

"Chuck," she tried to scold him, but her groan came out with more amusement than she had intended.

"You knew she was going to be spoiled before she was conceived," he smirked as his eyes looked to Blair to show her that they were shining in amusement, "She's half Waldorf, half Bass, how could she be anything less."

"You have a point," she sighed as Charlotte successfully rolled onto her side as she reached out towards her mother. Blair extended her hand and allow Charlotte to grab onto her index finger which Charlotte pulled immediately towards her mouth.

"She's starting to suck on anything she can get her hands on," Chuck concluded.

"She is your daughter after all," Blair replied sarcastically.

"I only suck when my hands are on you," he responded as he reached for her as his hands trailed the silk fabric of her robe. He let out a groan of disappointment as he discovered that she had taken the time to redress in her negligee from the previous evening along with the previously missing matching panties.

"Later," she assured him as her daughter continued to taste her finger.

"Lucky little girl," Chuck groaned.

"You cannot seriously be thinking about making love right now with our daughter less than twelve inches away from us," Blair gasped in shock.

"When are you going to get it through your head that I think about making love to you every minute of every day that we aren't making love," he whispered into her ear before his tongue began to trace the shell of her ear. "You are my obsession . . . always have been, always will be."

She kissed him passionately before she returned her focus to Charlotte whose eyes were beginning to drift closed. "Yesterday Lily agreed to take Charlotte for the afternoon so we can play Santa and Mrs. Claus at the hospital," Blair sighed as Chuck's hand roamed her body gently. When Charlotte's eyes closed completed, Chuck sat up and picked her up in his arms to settle her on his chest. His heartbeat would put their angel into a deeper sleep.

"Wonderful," he spoke softly as he soothingly rubbed Charlotte's back, "I'd hate to miss out on our one Christmas tradition at the Children's Hospital because we now have a child ourselves."

"You're such a natural with her," Blair marveled as she leaned in next to Chuck and covered his hand with hers.

"She makes it easy," he sighed as he kissed Charlotte's forehead softly. "She smells good. I love holding her, almost as much as I love holding her mother." They continued to sit together in the living room as Charlotte slept. They didn't speak. They merely enjoyed the quiet moments they had together. Life had been crazy since Chuck returned to work after his paternity leave, and these moments were rare.

* * *

"Mom told me to tell you that she was going to be a little late," Serena stated as she, Eric, Nate, and Jenny stepped off the elevator. They were greeted by Charlotte and a very annoyed Blair in her Mrs. Claus costume. Chuck was being a pain by refusing to get dressed in his costume until everyone had arrived, and they were ready to leave. He was fed up with sweating through his suit before the left the penthouse as seemed to be the tradition each year.

"I can stay with Charlotte until Lily arrives," Nate offered up quickly. His generous offer had everyone smirking with amusement. He made no secret is dislike of the costume he was currently wearing. Every year the complaining became louder and the promises to never get conned into volunteering each Christmas became more convincing.

"Nice gams, Archibault," Chuck snickered as he approached the group at the elevator. He was partially dressed as he had the velvet red pants, along with a white cotton shirt, candy cane striped suspenders, and black patent leather boots. His foam stomach, coat, hate and beard were all still in the bedroom.

Nate glared menacingly at his best friend's remark as Chuck let out a low whistle of appreciation as he eyed his friend's costume. Every year Chuck challenged himself to come up with a more inappropriate comment on the green and white striped stockings and pointy toed green shoes his daughter's godfather was wearing.

"One of these years, Man, you are getting into these tights. Remember this moment. I promise to give as good as you gave," Nate warned his friend as he continued to stare down his best friend.

"You know you could always say no," Chuck laughed merrily as a smile lit up his face.

"Have you ever tried to say no to your wife when she bats those damn eyelashes of hers?" he cursed as his scowl turned towards Blair who was swaying back and forth innocently with Charlotte in her arms.

"It's impossible, I know," he nodded as he took Charlotte from Blair, "It's going to be doubly impossible when this little one figures out how her mother does it."

Lily arrived minutes later to Blair's relief. She hated when they were late for the party. She hated making the children wait, especially now that she was a mother herself. Chuck disappeared just as Lily stepped off the elevator to finish getting dressed. The bags of toys were already moved towards the elevator and Blair was kissing Charlotte goodbye when he returned.

"Be good for Grandma Lily," Chuck cooed as he lifted Charlotte from Lily's arms to hug her goodbye. Having already put on the beard and hat, Charlotte didn't recognize him and let out a blood-curling scream. Blair quickly yanked off Chuck's hate and lowered his beard to calm their daughter down which was instantaneous. She knew if they had left the penthouse without Chuck calming Charlotte down that it would bother him for the rest of the afternoon and his performance for the children would be affected.

Lily and Charlotte waved everyone goodbye. Chuck waited until the elevator doors were closed before he put his beard and hat in place after kissing Blair one final time.

"Ack, get a room," Jenny gagged as she was the unfortunate person to ride with the pair in the elevator.

"Humphrey's suggestion is valid," Chuck grinned, "I've gone without all day."

"Behave," Blair scolded him as she straightened his beard after slapping his chest.

"I love you," he mouthed as he kissed her hand. Blair felt herself melt just a touch at his romantic gesture.

* * *

"How's my favorite little girl?" Chuck inquired as he and Blair returned from the hospital to Charlotte waiting for them in Grandma Eleanor's arms. Blair was surprised by her mother's presence. Charlotte didn't appear to be as comfortable in Eleanor's arms as she had been in Lily's earlier as she was squirming as if she was trying to break free. Chuck quickly relieved Eleanor of his daughter as he kissed Eleanor's cheek in greeting.

"Where's Lily?" Blair inquired as she hugged her mother.

"She's in the kitchen. We had Dorota whip up some of her famous sugar cookies so that we could decorate them with Charlotte. Lily is helping Dorota clean up. I was just going to put Charlotte down for a nap," Eleanor explained.

"I didn't know you were coming over," Blair responded as she kissed Charlotte's cheek before Chuck disappeared with Charlotte into her bedroom to lay her down for a nap.

"Lily called to tell me she was watching Charlotte. She suggested a Grandma fest, so I came right over. Charlotte is such a little angel. She behaved so well all day," Eleanor marveled, "When you were that age, Blair, all you did was scream and holler except when either your father of Dorota had you. I swear if I came within a foot of you, you'd scream for your life."

Blair couldn't help the snicker of amusement that escaped, but she didn't comment further. Her and her mother had finally come to a truce just before Blair and Chuck were married, and she wasn't going to be the one to ruin that.

"You and Dorota are still coming over tomorrow right?" Blair inquired.

"Of course," her mother confirmed as Blair stepped into her kitchen to offer her assistance.

"Three ladies without a clue in the kitchen . . . should I call the fire department now or wait until I see smoke?" Chuck inquired as he stepped into the kitchen. His stomach padding was removed, but the rest of the suit was still on. He was hoping to talk Blair into the naughty Mrs. Claus costume once they were alone, and he wanted to be properly dressed.

"You are horrible, Charles," Eleanor chuckled with amusement. The sound of Eleanor's laughter was always an unexpected surprise for Chuck. She had been so against him being involved with her daughter for so many years. It only seemed to be within the past year that she really seemed to have accepted that he was her daughter's choice, which coincided with Blair's pregnancy.

"He knows," Blair rolled her eyes as she slapped his shoulder lightly. Chuck took that as an invitation to kiss her cheek.

"Blair, Charles, your daughter gets cuter each time I see her," Lily commented as she put down the sponge she was using to clean the counters.

"Is Charlotte asleep?" Blair turned towards Chuck.

"Out like a light," Chuck nodded.

"We should get going," Lily stated, "It is Christmas eve after all, and I know the two of you always celebrate tonight."

"We do," Chuck smiled.

"What time does the festivities begin tomorrow?" Lily inquired.

"Anytime after eleven," Chuck replied, "I'm taking my two favorite ladies some place special tomorrow morning."

Blair looked at him with intrigue as she began walking Eleanor, Lily, and Dorota to the elevator.

* * *

"Is Charlotte still down?" Chuck inquired as Blair strolled into their bedroom to find him laid out on the bed with his hands comfortably folded together behind his head.

"She's out," Blair nodded as she check to see that the baby monitor had already been turned on after rolling her eyes as she saw the enormous pile of presents under and around their Christmas tree. Dorota must have moved all of the presents from Charlotte's Christmas room into their room after all of Chuck's presents had been delivered. They'd never get all of Charlotte's presents opened by the end of the night. "Whatever Lily, Dorota, and my mother did wore her out. We should wake her in a couple of hours, so she'll sleep through the night, but . . ."

"Until then I have you all to myself," Chuck grinned as he sat up and pulled her onto the bed next to him.

"I'll be right back," she stated eagerly as she pecked at his lips before she escaped from the room. He growled his displeasure at her sudden loss and followed her trail. He heard her own growl of frustration as he entered one of the spare bedrooms where she kept some of her clothes to see her throwing clothes out of the closet. He had to do some smooth maneuvering to miss a set of hangers that were inadvertently thrown at his head.

"What are you looking for?" he inquired as she stomped her foot in anger as another growl of disappointment left her lips as she looked at her now empty closet.

"My Mrs. Claus costume," she responded as she turned to him with a pout on her face, "The other one. I distinctly remember putting it in here after the holidays last year, but now it's gone. If I find out that cranky old maid took it, she is so fired."

Chuck shuttered with the disgust he felt at the mental image of their fifty something stumpy old maid in Blair's costume. It was almost enough to ruin his mood . . . almost.

"She didn't take anything," he assured her as he extended his hand, guiding her around the piles of clothes she had thrown in her hast and led her back to their bedroom closet where her costume was on display, "As you were walking everyone to the elevator, I retrieved your costume. I had hoped to talk you into wearing it, but it sounds as if I'll have an easier time convincing you than I had originally thought."

She smiled brightly as her hands closed around the hanger before her self-consciousness came out as she eyed the dress nervously. "This might not fit anymore. My body isn't the same as it was last Christmas."

"Trust me, it will fit," he assured her as he caressed her back gently to get her the much needed boost of confidence.

"I'll give it a try," she smiled warmly before she disappeared into their bathroom to try squeezing her body into the velvet fabric. She reemerged minutes later to candles lit around their room, and very svelte Santa waiting for her on the bed. She giggled as she rubbed the fabric at her hips subconsciously. The costume was a bit more snug around her breasts and her hips that it had been in years past, but it still fit for which she was grateful. Chuck smiled his appreciation as he stepped forward and took her in his arms.

"Beautiful," he stated as his eyes roamed her velvet clad body as she reached out and took the hat and beard off his head and threw it into a corner of the room, nearly knocking over one of the lit candles in her haste to caress his face. He chuckled in amusement as the candle wobbled but stayed upright. "Careful, Mrs. Claus, we wouldn't want to burn down our home tonight of all nights, and I still have to work this evening."

"The only work you have this evening is pleasing me," she whispered in his ear as her arms enveloped him.

"That's not work," he chuckled as he lifted her slightly off her feet so her legs could wrap around his waist, "That's pleasure, sheer, blissful pleasure." He moaned at the pleasurable friction she created against him as her legs locked behind him.

"What do you think of the dress?" Blair inquired as he lowered her to the bed. He tried to pull away to admire her dress once more, but her legs were locked tight and wouldn't allow him to move.

"It gets better each year," he assured her as his hands slid down the sides of her hips as he searched for the hem to slid it up her hips.

"So, Santa, have you been naughty or nice this year?" she inquired as she bit back a teasing laugh.

"That depends on what being naughty gets me," he responded without missing a beat.

"Me," she replied.

"Then I've been very naughty," he laughed darkly.

"Then by all means, claim your reward," she encouraged him as she lowered the trousers of his pants using mostly her legs. She was relieved to see that he had forgone the boxers that he usually wore with the suit as he slid into her slowly inch by glorious inch.

"If this is my incentive to be naughty, I'm returning to the duplicitous ways of my youth," he moaned as they found a steady rhythm.

"Don't you dare," she scolded him as she tapped him lightly on his velvet-clad shoulder.

"Give me a reason not to," he hissed as her legs clamped tighter around his waist.

"Charlotte," she called out as her orgasm rocked through her suddenly.

"Not exactly the sexiest thing you've said to me in the throes of passion, but a perfect answer none the less," he conceded as he followed her over the edge. They were both laughing as the lay together to catch their breath.

* * *

"Okay, Charlotte, here's the deal," Chuck stated as he sat with his daughter in his lap as he watched Blair fork a marshmallow and hand it to him. "We hold the marshmallow close to the flame, but not in the flame. Your mother and I have learned this through years of experience. We have also learned that your mother will flip out if the marshmallow catches on fire and would rather watch it burn to ash than simply blow the flame out."

Blair glared at the way his eyes twinkled as he spoke to his daughter while teasing her.

"Our goal is for the marshmallow to turn golden brown and grow about twice it's starting size. That means the marshmallow is perfectly cooked and ready to melt the chocolate that Mommy is holding in her hand and trying very hard not to eat," he continued to explain to his daughter as he watched his wife try to discreetly place a piece of chocolate in her mouth. "I saw that, Blair."

"Why do you always buy the most exquisite chocolate for these things and not allow me to eat any of it on it's own?" Blair sighed as she gave up trying to hide her guilt and simply enjoyed the taste in her mouth.

"You started this tradition," he reminded her as he carefully watched what he was cooking, "I merely made it a Bass worthy tradition by adding the most decadent chocolate money can buy."

When the marshmallow was perfectly cooked he turned the prong towards Blair and allowed her to slide the golden puffy ball of sugar onto the chocolate and graham cracker that she was holding. She took the first bite as she always did and then handed it to him to sample.

"Incredible, like always," was Blair's reply as Chuck took a small bit of the marshmallow and put it onto his finger allowing it to cool sufficiently before he held it to Charlotte's lips and waited for her to take his finger into her mouth. He didn't wait too long as Charlotte's lips closed around her father's finger immediately. Her eyes lit up at the sugary taste in her mouth.

"I think she likes it," Chuck laughed as he pulled his finger free and added a bit more marshmallow, which Charlotte quickly accepted.

"That's her first non-liquefied food," Blair pointed out as Chuck took another bite of their dessert before handing it back to Blair to finish off.

"What a lucky place to start," Chuck added as he kissed the top of Charlotte's head before he turned them both away from the fire and towards the tree with mounds of presents underneath. Chuck and Blair had both gone beyond crazy with their shopping for their daughter. While Blair joked about Chuck buying their daughter a toy store, she hadn't been much better at controlling her urge to buy things for Charlotte.

"Where do we start?" Blair inquired as she looked to the presents under the tree.

"How about with the one that says, to Blair," he offered as he pointed to one of the presents.

"Chuck, we said we weren't doing gifts this year," Blair scolded him.

"We did, and I didn't," he smirked, "This gift is from Charlotte."

"Chuck, she's not even four months old," Blair rolled her eyes as her hands closed around the gift with eager anticipation of opening it, "She couldn't have possibly chosen a present for me."

"Just open it," Chuck insisted as he watched Blair's fingers inch towards the wrapping paper's seam. She needed no further encouragement as she expertly slid the box out of the paper. Her eyes were shining with happy tears as her eyes found a platinum framed photo of her daughter and husband. It was the picture she had taken of the pair in the hospital the day Charlotte was born.

"It's perfect," Blair gasped as a few tears slid down her cheeks as she bent over and kissed her daughter and then her husband.

"And I swear Charlotte picked it out," Chuck responded, "I took her into Tiffany's, and she pointed to the most expensive frame she could find. She certainly is our daughter."

Blair laughed as she brushed a few more tears off her checks as she then handed a gift to him.

"Blair," it was his turn to scold her as he read the label to see it was a gift for him.

"It's from Charlotte, I swear," Blair responded innocently.

As he tore open the paper with the help of Charlotte, inside was a similarly styled frame to the one he had given her with a photo of his two favorite women. Chuck smiled as he looked at the picture of his ladyloves looking back at him with matching smiles. It was apparent that it was a recent picture, as Charlotte was wearing the headband he had given her as an early Christmas gift.

"Amazing," was Chuck's only reply. His eyes were shining with tears as he kissed his daughter's head as she reached out to add her fingerprints to the platinum frame in his hand. He looked to his wife who was crawling towards him on her knees so that she could hold them both. Charlotte would get hundreds of gifts that evening, everything from fashionable clothing to the latest and greatest toys for children her age, but none would have the feeling behind it that two simple photos would give her parents.

**TBC. . .**

**So, what do you think? Christmas day is almost here.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.**

"Can you get Charlotte ready to go?" Chuck inquired as he instructed Blair to dress in her warmest outfit as he woke her on Christmas morning. He was already dressed in his warmest wool suit. His expression was sad and full of pain. "I need to run an errand. I should be back in twenty minutes."

"Wait, where are you going?" Blair inquired as she padded along behind him in her bare feet, her silk robe billowing out in her haste as she followed him as he went to the coat closet to pull out his warmest wool jacket.

"Please, do as I ask. I promise to answer all of your questions soon," he asked with pleading eyes.

"It's Christmas morning," she reminded him, "And more specifically, it's Charlotte's first Christmas morning. You can't leave."

"Trust me," he requested as he kissed her softly as he hit the call button on the elevator. She looked into his eyes to see a twinge of sadness in them that told her not to push further, but do as he asked. She knew that look too well. She merely nodded as she watched him step onto the elevator. He blew her a kiss as the door closed. Blair struggled to keep a hold on her emotions as she went to get herself dressed before she woke Charlotte.

As promise, Chuck returned twenty minutes later and guided Charlotte and Blair to the elevator after they bundled up in their warmest coats. Arthur was waiting patiently at the door of the limo as he waited for the family to climb in. Chuck nodded his thanks before he slid in, taking Charlotte from Blair as the door closed before they took off.

Chuck was mostly silent as they drove towards their destination, smiling as warmly as he could muster at Charlotte when she tried to coax a smile from his lips. She was such an intelligent child when it came to reading her father's feelings, and she was usually very good at pulling him from his sour moods.

Blair gasped audibly as the scenery turned familiar as the limo turned into the cemetery.

"Chuck," she spoke softly.

"I wanted to wish them a Merry Christmas," he choked out as the limo stopped. Arthur had two Christmas wreaths and a bouquet of yellow roses in his hands as he opened the door. Chuck passed Charlotte to Blair as he got out of the limo and took the floral arrangements from Arthur before he helped Blair from the vehicle. He handed Blair one of the wreaths, "For Cyrus."

"Let's go see him first," she requested as she managed to link her arm with his as she led him around his parents' graves and towards the grave of the warm, generous caring man that she had loved so dearly. They paused as they approached the familiar headstone. Blair carefully set the wreath down in front of the stone as she knelt down with Charlotte in her arms. She proceeded to introduce Charlotte to the man that she would never know and explain how important he was to Blair. After a few moments, Blair stood up and turned towards Chuck and allowed him to pull her towards his parents' graves.

After placing the wreath at his father's grave, and the flowers at his mother's, Blair handed Charlotte to him and tried to stand back to allow him a few minutes with his parents. Chuck took her hand and kept her close, his eyes pleading with her to not leave him at that moment.

"Merry Christmas," Chuck spoke as he fought to even his quivering words, "I've never said those words to either of you before . . . I brought Charlotte with me again, and this time I also brought Blair. I've never officially introduced you to the women who has my heart so completely, so here goes." He took several deep breaths as he tried to sum up the courage, as if this was the most difficult task in the world for him to accomplish. Blair understood his nervousness and smiled at him in encouragement. "Mom, Dad, this is Blair Waldorf . . . Bass. Blair, these are my par . . .ents." His voice quivered.

She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as she spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"She's really good for me," Chuck spoke to his parents, "She is truly my equal in every sense of the word. I could not ask for a better partner in life than her. She and Charlotte are my greatest motivators and supporters. I am truly the luckiest man in the world."

Blair gave him a radiant smile as she wiped away a few of the tears that fell down his cheeks.

"I've been doing a little soul searching since the last time I was here. I've realized that I've spent too many years blaming myself for things that were beyond my control, hated myself for what I thought I had did. Mom, I wish with all my heart that you had lived to see me grow and to hold your granddaughter in your arms. I'm finally ready to accept that I didn't kill you. What happened on my birthday was horrible, but it wasn't my fau . . . lt.

"Dad, for too many years, I hated you for what you did to me. Hated how small and weak you made me feel. Now I realize that you were the weak one. I appreciate how hard it was for you to lose Mom the way you did, and how easy it would be to just close yourself off to avoid all of the pain and heartache, but I also know what it is like you hold your child in your arms and have them look up at you with such awe and amazement, as if you are the greatest hero in their life. It was your choice to make, and you made the wrong one. For that I feel sorry for you. You missed out on some of the most wonderful emotions in life.

"I'm finally ready to let go of the anger . . . ready to let go of the sorrow and pain. This is the season of giving, so I have one gift to give to you Bart Bass, the first one I've ever truly given you . . . forgiveness. I forgive you for all of the hurtful things you did and said, and the things you didn't say or forgot to do. I love you, and I know somewhere deep down you loved me . . . you had to. If you are capable of loving Mom, which I know you did, I know you had to love me too.

"Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad," he stated after he took a few cleansing breaths, "I promise that I will continue to visit you, and bring Charlotte and Blair with me. I'll keep you both in my heart."

Blair looked at him to see although he had tears in his eyes still, he was smiling, a genuine smile like none other she had seen before. He kissed his hand and placed it on first his mother's headstone and then his father's before he turned towards her with an extended hand. She kissed his gloved hand and gently nudged him towards the limo. "I'll be there in a minute."

He nodded as he kissed her cheek softly and left with Charlotte who he was now tickling and laughing with as he always did.

"Bart Bass, for too many years, I've cursed your name, vilified you in my mind for what you did to your son. You could have been the luckiest man in the world if you had given yourself a chance to know what a wonderfully strong and courageous man he was capable of becoming," she hissed once she knew Chuck was out of earshot, "But today you are responsible for the greatest Christmas gift he has ever given me, so like your son I forgive you. I forgive you for all the hurtful things you did and said to him, all of the things you didn't say or forgot to do for him.

"Evelyn, I wish you could have known your son. He is such a wonderful man, so kind hearted, generous, determined, and full of so much love that I didn't know was possible . . . all strengths that I know he got from you. Thank you for taking the risk that you took to bring him into this world. I'll never be able to thank you enough," Blair stated as she wiped her own tears as she removed her glove and kissed her hands as her husband had before her and placed it against both of his parents' headstones.

When she turned, Chuck was standing a few feet away with his arms stretched out to her. She was a mess of tears as she tumbled into his arms, both crying softly as the relief washed over them. For too long, Chuck's pain had been a part of their lives. That was ending today.

"Come on," he smiled as he wiped her tears softly with his lips as he caressed her face gently, "It's Christmas. We have a penthouse full of people waiting to celebrate with us."

Blair nodded as she allowed him to guide her to the awaiting limo and Arthur holding their daughter in his arms as she giggled at whatever he was telling her. Upon seeing her parents approach, Charlotte reached out for them. Blair took her from Arthur as she thanked him for taking care of her, albeit briefly.

"You okay?" Blair inquired as she snuggled into him as the road back to their penthouse. Charlotte was sleeping on Blair's shoulder.

"Better than okay," he spoke softly so that he wouldn't wake Charlotte as he rang his fingers through Blair's hair, sifting her curls with his fingers. "I can't even put into words the feelings that I'm having right now."

"How much of what I said did you hear?" she inquired.

"I didn't hear you cursing out my father," he assured her, "I only heard what you said to my mom."

"How do you know I was cursing out your father?" she pressed.

"You would have said anything else in front of me and Charlotte," he replied as he kissed her cheek softly.

"You aren't the only one with anger issues towards your father," she responded defensively.

"I know," he assured her as he spoke against her temple, "It had to have been as hard on you watching me go through all that I went through as it was on me to go through it."

"I wouldn't go that far," she replied, "You've had a pretty rough road, and I wasn't a party to all of it."

"You saw enough to get the general gist," he stated, "It's all behind me now. I'm not so stupid as to believe that I won't be sad or angry about my father ever again, but the worst of it is behind us."

She turned and kissed his cheek.

"Charles, Blair, we've been waiting for you," Lily stated as the trio stepped off the elevator. Everyone was already there sitting in a semi circle around the tree drinking apple cider like the two cups on a tray that Dorota presented to them.

"Dorota, you are a guest in our home, have a seat," Chuck instructed her as he took the tray out of her hands and nodded towards a vacant seat, "Unless you'd like to accept my offer of employment."

"I heard that Charles," Eleanor chimed in.

"I promise that when Dorota finally caves to my wishes that you will be well compensated and a suitable replacement will be found," Chuck responded with a laugh as he winked in Eleanor's direction. Dorota took pause as she appeared to be processing the new information that she had been given.

"How long as everyone been waiting?" Blair inquired as she struggled to remove her coat with Charlotte in her arms as Chuck stepped into the kitchen to relieve himself of the tray he was carrying. Nate quickly stood up and took Charlotte in his arms.

"Not long," Nate responded as he bounced Charlotte up and down a few times.

Blair's eyes went wide as she caught sight of the large assortment of presents under the tree. "I thought we weren't exchanging gifts this year."

"They're all for Charlee," Serena chimed in.

"Good lord!" Blair exclaimed as she took a closer inspection of the mound of presents.

"You sound surprised, Sweetheart," her mother laughed merrily, "Charlotte is Upper East Side royalty. Of course, she is going to be spoiled."

"Perhaps we over did it just a touch," Lily conceded, "But it's been almost two decades since any of us could shop for an infant. It's just as fun as I remembered it to be."

"And the toys they have now days," Nate chimed in, "I wish we had a fourth of what is currently out there. I couldn't stop even when I knew I should."

Chuck returned to the living room with the two mugs of cider one of which he handed to Blair.

"What's different?" Nate inquired as he studied his best friend's appearance.

"What are you talking about, Nathaniel?" Chuck inquired as Charlotte reached out for him. Blair took his cider from him as he grabbed Charlotte.

"You look different," Nate stated as he continued to studied Chuck's appearance, "Did you get a hair cut or something?"

"No," Chuck shook his head.

"Nate's right," Serena stated as she saw what Nate did, "Did the two of you . . . in the limo?"

"No, we didn't," Blair rolled her eyes, "We had Charlotte with us."

"Where did you go this morning? Church?" Lily inquired.

"Close," Chuck replied. He looked to Blair to determine how to proceed. Her looked told him it was his choice. "I took Blair and Charlotte to the cemetery so that we could wish Cyrus and my parents a Merry Christmas."

Eleanor's eyes teared up immediately at the mention of her deceased husband. Blair noticed and walked over to give her mother a comforting hug.

"You've resisted going in the past," Lily stated as she touched Chuck's shoulder.

"Things are different now," Chuck responded as he eyed Charlotte who was trying to inhale his silk shirt as she looked up at him with her beautiful brown eyes. "Blair and Charlotte have taught me the importance of family."

"Still, something is different," Nate insisted as he continued to study Chuck.

"Nate's right. You seem happier, lighter, freer," Serena added.

"I am," Chuck nodded as he pulled his shirt free. He smiled at the wet spot Charlotte had left. "Thanks to my wife and my daughter."

* * *

"Charlee made out like a bandit this year," Blair stated as she laid her soundly sleeping daughter in her crib as Chuck climbed up onto the bed to take in the view.

"It was inevitable," Chuck smirked as he watched Blair cover Charlotte with her favorite blanket before she climbed into bed and curled in next to him. "She's the trailblazer. She's the first Bass-Waldorf grandchild. She's the first non-judgemental breakfast club offspring. With all of our bottomless bank accounts and her adorable smile, she was bound to get the toy store you kept joking about."

"Do you think she knows that today is any different than any other day?" she inquired as she stared at the crib. From the bed they could see directly into the crib to see Charlotte was as sound asleep as she had been for the last hour that Blair had held her as they sat in front of the fireplace.

"Probably not," Chuck shook his head as he rhythmically ran his fingers along the length of her arm, "But the only thing that matters this year is that we know that today is special. I have a feeling she'll be more aware next year."

"I've been giving Christmas a little bit of thought," Blair stated, "We've spent most of our Christmases together traveling to exotic locations. Christmas in New York is such a magical place. We should keep this as our tradition."

"You know you won't get any argument from me," he grinned, "I've loved this time of year since you first introduced me to it. It was important for me to give that to Charlotte. I would love to continue it each year."

"Good," Blair smiled as she rolled so that she was on top of him. "How about I got put on my costume while you move Charlee into her bedroom so that we can have a little us time."

"How about we just remove all of our clothes and have a little us time," he amended as his hands closed around her waist as he searched out the hem of her blouse, "Charlotte is perfectly fine where she is, and as much as I loved that costume on you last evening, I love you just as much without it."

"You love that costume," Blair pouted as she stuck out her bottom lip, "That costume has been one of the few traditions that we've had together."

"I love the costume because I love the woman in it," he explained as he lifted the silk over her head, "I don't need a costume. I just need you."

"Such a wonderful line," Blair smirked as her lips ascending upon his.

"It's not a line, Beautiful," he grinned as her hands divested him of his silk shirt the fastest way she knew how, she tore it to pieces. "Always such a little minx in the bedroom. God, I love that about you."

"It's your fault," she giggled in between kisses as his hands found their way into her hair as he devoured her lips, "You created me."

"For which I thank my lucky stars every day," he released her lips to speak for a moment before he pulled her to him again.

"This Christmas has been perfect," Blair grinned.

"This life has been and will continue to be perfect," he amended.

**And so we end another journey into the lives of Blair and Chuck. Stay posted. You all know another journey will begin shortly. Don't forget the review and ideas. **


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